Crocothemis nigrifrons
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Crocothemis nigrifrons is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. Its common names include black-headed skimmer and blue-scarlet dragonfly. It is found in Australia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. The male is blue and black, and the female is yellow to brown in color.
The species is usually found near still or sluggish waters and is common over much of its range. The genus name Crocothemis is derived from the Greek κρόκος (krokos, "crocus", the source of saffron) and -themis, from Greek Θέμις (Themis), the goddess of divine law, order and justice. In early odonate taxonomy, names ending in -themis were widely used for dragonflies. The name refers to the amber coloration at the base of the wings.
The species name nigrifrons is derived from the Latin niger ("black") and frons ("forehead" or "brow"), referring to the black face. List of Odonata species of Australia 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 a Black-Headed Skimmer sighting in Sydney on a given day, based on 56 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 168th 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 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March–May and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-Headed Skimmer in Sydney on a given day, against under 5% in January–February and June–November, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-Headed Skimmer 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 3
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Black-Headed Skimmer sightings, Sydney ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Brisbane (Australia, about 10%).
Same family: Libellulidae
The closest relatives of the Black-Headed Skimmer that you can see in Sydney (family Libellulidae, Skimmers) are Fiery Skimmer (about 20%), Scarlet Percher (about 10%) and Wandering Percher (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-Headed Skimmer is recorded against all the insects logged in Sydney (56 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.
