Band-Winged Meadowhawk

Band-Winged Meadowhawk

Sympetrum semicinctum

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Denver

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%

206 Verified sightings at Denver
12 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Band-Winged Meadowhawk

The band-winged meadowhawk (Sympetrum semicinctum) is a dragonfly of the genus Sympetrum belonging to the family Libellulidae. Sympetrum semicinctum is closely related to, and may not be a distinct species from, the western meadowhawk (Sympetrum occidentale). Other geographical variants are S. californicum and S. fasciatum.

This species is native to Canada and Continental United States, from coast to coast. It is present in Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward I., Québec, Saskatchewan); United States (Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming).

This dragonfly can be found perched on vegetation along the edges of meadows, in weedy ponds, marshes and lakes, also... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
2 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Denver 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Salt Lake City 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Calgary 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
4 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
6 Montreal 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
7 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Band-Winged Meadowhawk in Denver?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Band-Winged Meadowhawk sighting in Denver on a given day, based on 206 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 35th most-seen of the 461 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Band-Winged Meadowhawk in Denver?

August to October

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Band-Winged Meadowhawk in Denver on a given day, against under 5% in November to June, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Band-Winged Meadowhawk?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Band-Winged Meadowhawk sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Denver the best place to see a Band-Winged Meadowhawk?

Yes

Of the 7 cities where we can rate Band-Winged Meadowhawk sightings, Denver has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Salt Lake City (United States, about 10%) and Calgary (Canada, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Band-Winged Meadowhawk live in Denver?

Same genus: Sympetrum

The closest relatives of the Band-Winged Meadowhawk that you can see in Denver (genus Sympetrum, Meadowhawks) are Variegated Meadowhawk (about 10%) and Striped Meadowhawk (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Band-Winged Meadowhawk sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Band-Winged Meadowhawk is recorded against all the insects logged in Denver (206 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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