Green Skimmer

Green Skimmer

Orthetrum serapia

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Manila

In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%

43 Verified sightings at Manila
35 In all 3 parks From 2019 to 2026
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Green Skimmer

Orthetrum serapia, the green skimmer, is a freshwater dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. The serapia species is present in Australia, the Philippines, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. It inhabits a wide range of still and sluggish waters, often shallow. In Australia it ranges from the top end of the Northern Territory to about Mackay in central Queensland.

Orthetrum serapia is a medium-sized dragonfly with a wingspan of 60-85mm. Its wings are clear except for a small dark spot at the base of the hindwing. The thorax is greenish to greyish yellow with black markings. The abdomen is black with pale yellow or pale green markings. Orthetrum serapia appears very similar to Orthetrum sabina and can be confused where the range of the two overlaps in north-eastern Australia.

The genus name Orthetrum is derived from the Greek ὀρθός (orthos, "straight") and ἦτρον (ētron, "abdomen"), referring to the parallel-sided abdomen of the genus. The species name serapia is an eponym honouring Saint Serapia, a slave, martyr, and servant of Saint Sabina.

List of Odonata species of Australia Media related to Orthetrum... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Tangkoko Nature Reserve 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~20%
2 Raja Ampat 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~10%
3 Daintree National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Davao City 🇵🇭 Philippines
~30%
2 Cebu City 🇵🇭 Philippines
~30%
3 Manila 🇵🇭 Philippines
~20%
4 Brisbane 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Green Skimmer in Manila?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Green Skimmer sighting in Manila on a given day, based on 43 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 24th most-seen of the 122 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Green Skimmer in Manila?

March and October

In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Green Skimmer in Manila on a given day, against about 10% in April, June–July and December–January, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Green Skimmer?

Between 11 am and 2 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Green Skimmer sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Manila the best place to see a Green Skimmer?

3rd of 4

Of the 4 cities where we can rate Green Skimmer sightings, Manila ranks 3rd at about 20%. The best odds are in Davao City (Philippines, about 30%) and Cebu City (Philippines, about 30%).

Which relatives of the Green Skimmer live in Manila?

Same family: Libellulidae

The closest relatives of the Green Skimmer that you can see in Manila (family Libellulidae, Skimmers) are Chalky Percher (about 30%), Straight-Edge Red Parasol (about 20%) and Red Percher (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Green Skimmer sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Green Skimmer is recorded against all the insects logged in Manila (43 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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