Great Blue Skimmer

Great Blue Skimmer

Libellula vibrans

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Orlando

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

7 Verified sightings at Orlando
172 In all 3 parks From 2019 to 2026
April Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Great Blue Skimmer

The great blue skimmer (Libellula vibrans) is a dragonfly of the skimmer family. With a total length of 50 to 63 millimetres (2.0 to 2.5 in), it is one of the largest skimmers. The immature forms of the skimmer are brown in color and mature forms are blue-hued. This species is found near lakes, ponds, and slow streams in the eastern United States and rarely in southern Ontario.

Media related to Libellula vibrans at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Libellula vibrans at Wikispecies Libellula vibrans on BugGuide.Net Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~50%
2 Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Houston 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Baltimore 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Dallas 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Orlando 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Miami 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Great Blue Skimmer in Orlando?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Great Blue Skimmer sighting in Orlando on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 213th most-seen of the 294 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 Great Blue Skimmer in Orlando?

April and June

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Great Blue Skimmer in Orlando on a given day, against under 5% in May and July–March, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Great Blue Skimmer?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

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

Is Orlando the best place to see a Great Blue Skimmer?

9th of 10

Of the 10 cities where we can rate Great Blue Skimmer sightings, Orlando ranks 9th at under 5%. The best odds are in Washington (United States, about 10%), Houston (United States, about 10%) and New York City (United States, about 10%).

Where does the Great Blue Skimmer sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Great Blue Skimmer is recorded against all the insects logged in Orlando (7 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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