Slaty Skimmer

Slaty Skimmer

Libellula incesta

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Philadelphia

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

20 Verified sightings at Philadelphia
82 In all 6 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Slaty Skimmer

Libellula incesta, the slaty skimmer, is a dragonfly of the skimmer family, native to eastern United States and southern Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick. Adults are 5.28 cm (2.08 in) long. Mature males are dark blue with black heads. Females and juveniles have brown abdomens with a darker stripe down their backs. Adults fly from June to August. Larvae are habitat specialists, found in the benthos of permanent lakes. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

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

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Slaty Skimmer in Philadelphia?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Slaty Skimmer sighting in Philadelphia on a given day, based on 20 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 296th most-seen of the 632 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 Slaty Skimmer in Philadelphia?

September

In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Slaty Skimmer in Philadelphia on a given day, against under 5% in October to August, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Slaty Skimmer?

Between 8 and 11 am

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

Is Philadelphia the best place to see a Slaty Skimmer?

7th of 11

Of the 11 cities where we can rate Slaty Skimmer sightings, Philadelphia ranks 7th at under 5%. The best odds are in Washington (United States, about 10%), Austin (United States, about 10%) and Boston (United States, about 10%).

Where does the Slaty Skimmer sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Slaty Skimmer is recorded against all the insects logged in Philadelphia (20 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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