Black Saddlebags

Black Saddlebags

Tramea lacerata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Miami

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

11 Verified sightings at Miami
54 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Black Saddlebags

The black saddlebags (Tramea lacerata) is a species of skimmer dragonfly found throughout North America. It has distinctive wings with characteristic black blotches at their proximal ends, which make the dragonfly look as though it is wearing saddlebags.

The black saddlebags is a relatively large dragonfly at about 5 centimetres (2 in) in length. The body is thin and black, and the female may have lighter spotting or mottling dorsally. The head is much wider than the rest of the body and is dark brown in color.

The insect can be found at bodies of stagnant water, such as ponds and ditches. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
2 Padre Island National Seashore 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Sacramento 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Mesa 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
5 Portland 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Houston 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
7 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
8 Detroit 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 Phoenix 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
10 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Black Saddlebags in Miami?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black Saddlebags sighting in Miami on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 499th most-seen of the 826 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Black Saddlebags in Miami?

October

In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black Saddlebags in Miami on a given day, against under 5% in November to September, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Black Saddlebags?

Between noon and 3 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black Saddlebags 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 Miami the best place to see a Black Saddlebags?

26th of 26

Of the 26 cities where we can rate Black Saddlebags sightings, Miami ranks 26th at under 5%. The best odds are in Sacramento (United States, about 10%), Mesa (United States, about 10%) and Austin (United States, about 10%).

Where does the Black Saddlebags sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Black Saddlebags is recorded against all the insects logged in Miami (11 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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