Leucorrhinia intacta
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The dot-tailed whiteface (Leucorrhinia intacta) is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is also one of the most common and widespread in the genus Leucorrhinia. The naiad of the dot-tailed whiteface is very small with a length of 9/16 to 3/4 inch (14–19 mm). Its abdomen is rounded, giving it a short, stocky appearance known as the sprawler form. Its brown in color and marked with either three dark stripes or two rows of dark spots running the length of the underside of the abdomen. There are needle-shaped hooks on the top of abdominal segments three through eight, and a single, rear-facing spine on each side of abdominal segments eight and nine.
The dot-tailed whiteface is a small dragonfly with a length of 1 to 11/5 inches (25 to 38 mm). It is distinguished by the mostly black body, small black basal wing spots, black legs, and white face. Male dot-tailed whitefaces have one yellow spot on the dorsal side of the abdomen. Female dot-tailed whitefaces have multiple yellow spots along the dorsal side of the abdomen and the last yellow spot is large and square shaped. There is also a small yellow stripe along the lateral edge... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elk Island National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Riding Mountain National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Dot-Tailed Whiteface sighting in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] on a given day, based on 60 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 145th most-seen of the 672 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.
May and June
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Dot-Tailed Whiteface in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] on a given day, against under 5% in July to April, the lowest months. Those are among Minneapolis [Saint Paul]'s wettest months, with about 120 mm of rain a month against 20 mm in January.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Dot-Tailed Whiteface sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 7 cities where we can rate Dot-Tailed Whiteface sightings, Minneapolis [Saint Paul] ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Montreal (Canada, about 10%).
Same family: Libellulidae
The closest relatives of the Dot-Tailed Whiteface that you can see in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (family Libellulidae, Skimmers) are Autumn Meadowhawk (about 10%), Twelve-Spotted Skimmer (about 10%) and Common Whitetail (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Dot-Tailed Whiteface is recorded against all the insects logged in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (60 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.
