Rhyothemis fuliginosa
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Rhyothemis fuliginosa, also known as the butterfly dragonfly or the butterfly flutterer, is a species of dragonfly of the family Libellulidae found throughout East Asia, in the countries of Japan, China, Taiwan, and the Korean Peninsula.
In Japan, R. fuliginosa is known as チョウトンボ (chou-tonbo, 蝶蜻蛉) which directly translates to "butterfly dragonfly." In China and Taiwan, it is known as 黑翅蜻蜓 (Hēi chì qīngtíng), meaning "black-winged dragonfly." In Korea it is also known as 나비잠자리 (Nabi jamjari) meaning "butterfly dragonfly".
Flights occur between the months of June and September. They are most active from early summer to the mid-autumn season. Rhyothemis fuliginosa is a short and stout dragonfly with a body length of 32-41 millimeters in length. The wings are 30–40 mm across and patterned with a deep blue iridescent shade. Depending on the viewing angle, the dragonfly's wings can vary in color due to their light scattering properties, with some appearing golden in the light. The wing patterns are thought to be a determinant between members of the same species to avoid mating with the incorrect partner.
Males have spots on the tips of their hindwings, a feature that allows... Wikipedia →
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More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Butterfly Flutterer sighting in Shanghai on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 127th most-seen of the 215 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June to August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Butterfly Flutterer in Shanghai on a given day, against under 5% in September to May, the lowest months. Those are among Shanghai's wettest months, with about 170 mm of rain a month against 55 mm in December.
11th of 12
Of the 12 cities where we can rate Butterfly Flutterer sightings, Shanghai ranks 11th at about 10%. The best odds are in Hiroshima (Japan, about 20%), Daegu (South Korea, about 20%) and Suzhou (China, about 20%).
Same family: Libellulidae
The closest relatives of the Butterfly Flutterer that you can see in Shanghai (family Libellulidae, Skimmers) are Pied Skimmer (about 20%), Slender Skimmer (about 20%) and Ditch Jewel (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Butterfly Flutterer is recorded against all the insects logged in Shanghai (10 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.
