Ischnura heterosticta
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Ischnura heterosticta, one of at least two species with the common name common bluetail, is an Australian damselfly of the family Coenagrionidae. It is the largest of the three Ischnura species in Australia. They are generally found near slow-running or still water. The species is also salt tolerant. It flies from October to March.
The common bluetail is a small damselfly. Most males have blue eyes, a blue thorax, and a blue ringed tail. The females have a variety of forms including green, brown, black, and a form with very similar colourings to the male.
In Australia, Ischnura heterosticta is found throughout the entire continent including Tasmania. The genus name Ischnura is derived from the Greek ἰσχνός (ischnos, "thin" or "slender") and οὐρά (oura, "tail"), referring to the slender abdomen of species in the genus.
The species name heterosticta is derived from the Greek ἕτερος (heteros, "different") and στικτός (stiktos, "spotted" or "tattooed"), referring to the differently coloured pterostigma on the forewings and hindwings. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Australian Bluetail sighting in Melbourne on a given day, based on 477 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 39th most-seen of the 875 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.
November to February
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Australian Bluetail in Melbourne on a given day, against under 5% in April to September, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Australian Bluetail sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 4
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Australian Bluetail sightings, Melbourne ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Brisbane (Australia, about 20%), Sydney (Australia, about 10%) and Perth (Australia, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Australian Bluetail is recorded against all the insects logged in Melbourne (477 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.
