Keyhole Glider

Keyhole Glider

Tramea basilaris

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Hyderabad

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

17 Verified sightings at Hyderabad
127 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Keyhole Glider

Tramea basilaris, also known as the keyhole glider, red marsh trotter, or wheeling glider, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is found throughout most of Africa, Arabia and in Asia. Capable of very long migration and nomadic flight, it reached Europe once, with a pair being recorded at the island of Linosa, Sicily (Italy) in 2016. Similarly, this species is able to use the trade winds to reach the Caribbean and South Americas, where it has been spotted in Bonaire, Venezuela, and Martinique.

It is a medium-sized red dragonfly with extremely long anal appendages. It can be distinguished from other species of this genus by the two brownish black hind-wing patch surrounded by a golden yellow areola in the base. Female is similar to male; but yellowish in color.

This species is found at pools, ponds, marshes, lakes and water tanks. Typical reproducing habitats are grassy marshes and ponds, but this species may be found anywhere during migrations. They are seen in tireless soaring flight in sunny days, sometimes in conspecific groups or in mixed groups of other soaring dragonflies like Pantala flavescens or Hydrobasileus croceus. It perches... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
2 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Hyderabad 🇮🇳 India
~10%
2 Chennai 🇮🇳 India
~10%
3 New Delhi 🇮🇳 India
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Keyhole Glider in Hyderabad?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Keyhole Glider sighting in Hyderabad on a given day, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 145th most-seen of the 318 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Keyhole Glider in Hyderabad?

October

In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Keyhole Glider in Hyderabad on a given day, against under 5% in December to August, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Keyhole Glider?

Between noon and 3 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Keyhole Glider sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Hyderabad the best place to see a Keyhole Glider?

Yes

Of the 3 cities where we can rate Keyhole Glider sightings, Hyderabad has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Chennai (India, about 10%) and New Delhi (India, under 5%).

Where does the Keyhole Glider sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Keyhole Glider is recorded against all the insects logged in Hyderabad (17 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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