Austroargiolestes icteromelas
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The common flatwing (Austroargiolestes icteromelas) is a very common species of damselfly of the subfamily Argiolestinae in the family Argiolestidae. It is also known as an Australian flatwing. Both male and female common flatwings look similar, with a long and slender body about 43 mm in length, and a bright metallic-blue colour. They usually rest with their wings flat open, but females sometimes rest with wings folded up. Their antennae are very small, and their compound eyes are comparatively large. Common flatwings do not use their legs for walking, but for capturing other flying insects in the air, like all other dragonflies and damselflies. They can be found along streams and creeks, are seldom found near still water ponds, but are more likely to be found near slow running water. This species likes to rest within a few metres of a creek or stream, in a shaded area, sometimes resting in large groups among plants. They perch on leaves and, when disturbed, fly a short distance. Common flatwings tolerate people close to them.
Austroargiolestes icteromelas has a two subspecies: Austroargiolestes icteromelas icteromelas, which has a pale mouth (labium) and is from southern... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Flatwing sighting in Melbourne on a given day, based on 644 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 26th most-seen of the 875 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.
September to January
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Common Flatwing in Melbourne on a given day, against under 5% in April to August, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Flatwing sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Common Flatwing sightings, Melbourne ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Brisbane (Australia, about 20%) and Sydney (Australia, about 20%).
Same order: Odonata
The closest relatives of the Common Flatwing that you can see in Melbourne (order Odonata, Dragonflies and Damselflies) are Tau Emerald (about 20%), Wandering Percher (about 20%) and Wandering Ringtail (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Flatwing is recorded against all the insects logged in Melbourne (644 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.
