Cardinal Meadowhawk

Cardinal Meadowhawk

Sympetrum illotum

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Seattle

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%

147 Verified sightings at Seattle
68 In all 7 parks From 2019 to 2026
July Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Cardinal Meadowhawk

Sympetrum illotum, the cardinal meadowhawk, is a species of skimmer in the dragonfly family Libellulidae. It is found in North America and South America, including islands in the Caribbean. The IUCN conservation status of Sympetrum illotum is least concern, with no immediate threat to the species' survival. The population is stable. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
3 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
4 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
7 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Toluca 🇲🇽 México
~10%
2 Portland 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Puebla 🇲🇽 México
~10%
4 Seattle 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Mexico City 🇲🇽 México
~10%
6 Guadalajara 🇲🇽 México
~10%
7 San Francisco 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Vancouver 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
9 Los Angeles 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 San Diego 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Cardinal Meadowhawk in Seattle?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Cardinal Meadowhawk sighting in Seattle on a given day, based on 147 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 37th most-seen of the 428 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Cardinal Meadowhawk in Seattle?

July

In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Cardinal Meadowhawk in Seattle on a given day, against under 5% in October to April, the lowest months. That is one of Seattle's driest months, with about 20 mm of rain against 190 mm in November.

What time of day is best to see a Cardinal Meadowhawk?

Between noon and 3 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Cardinal Meadowhawk 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 Seattle the best place to see a Cardinal Meadowhawk?

Among the best

Of the 10 cities where we can rate Cardinal Meadowhawk sightings, Seattle ranks 4th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Toluca (México, about 10%), Portland (United States, about 10%) and Puebla (México, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Cardinal Meadowhawk live in Seattle?

Same genus: Sympetrum

The closest relatives of the Cardinal Meadowhawk that you can see in Seattle (genus Sympetrum, Meadowhawks) are Variegated Meadowhawk (about 10%) and Striped Meadowhawk (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Cardinal Meadowhawk sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Cardinal Meadowhawk is recorded against all the insects logged in Seattle (147 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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