Orthetrum caledonicum
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Orthetrum caledonicum, the blue skimmer, is a common Australian dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. Males have a powder blue thorax and abdomen pruinescent blue when mature. The females are brownish grey in colour while the teneral are yellow with black markings. They are medium in size, with a body length of 4.5 cm (2 in) and a wingspan of 7 cm (3 in).
The species is widespread throughout mainland Australia and extending to Tasmania. It is also found in New Guinea, New Caledonia, Loyalty Islands and Lesser Sunda Islands. It inhabits a range of still and flowing water habitats including temporary waters.
The genus name Orthetrum is derived from the Greek ὀρθός (orthos, "straight") and ἦτρον (ētron, "abdomen"), referring to the parallel-sided abdomen of the genus. The species name caledonicum is named for New Caledonia, where the original specimens of the species were collected.
Media related to Orthetrum caledonicum at Wikimedia Commons Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Hattah-Kulkyne National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Flinders Ranges National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 12 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Blue Skimmer sighting in Sydney on a given day, based on 338 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 37th most-seen of the 742 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December to March
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Blue Skimmer in Sydney on a given day, against under 5% in June to September, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Blue 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.
3rd of 4
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Blue Skimmer sightings, Sydney ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Brisbane (Australia, about 20%) and Perth (Australia, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Blue Skimmer is recorded against all the insects logged in Sydney (338 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.
