Ictinogomphus australis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Ictinogomphus australis, known as the Australian tiger, is a species of dragonfly in the family Gomphidae. It is found near rivers, lagoons, lakes and ponds. They are large dragonflies (wingspan 100mm, length 70mm) with eyes widely spaced on top of the head. They have clear wings and are yellow and black in colour. Males are identified from females by two curved flaps below segment eight of the abdomen. They are found in an arc ranging from about Broome, Western Australia along the north of the continent to Point Hicks on the south-east corner. The taxon has been assessed for the IUCN Red List as being of least concern.
The genus name Ictinogomphus is derived from the Greek ἴκτινος (iktinos, "kite"), combined with Gomphus, a genus name derived from the Greek γόμφος (gomphos, "peg" or "nail"). The name likely refers to the large size of the genus, emphasised by the distinctive large flaps near the end of the abdomen in both males and females.
The species name australis is Latin for "southern", in this case referring directly to Australia, where the species was first recorded. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Australian Tiger sighting in Sydney on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 306th most-seen of the 742 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.
January and February
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Australian Tiger in Sydney on a given day, against under 5% in March to December, the lowest months. Those are among Sydney's wettest months, with about 110 mm of rain a month against 45 mm in September.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Australian Tiger sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Australian Tiger sightings, Sydney ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Brisbane (Australia, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Australian Tiger is recorded against all the insects logged in Sydney (23 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.
