Dot-Tailed Whiteface

Dot-Tailed Whiteface

Leucorrhinia intacta

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Toronto

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

51 Verified sightings at Toronto
30 In all 3 parks From 2019 to 2026
June Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Dot-Tailed Whiteface

The dot-tailed whiteface (Leucorrhinia intacta) is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is also one of the most common and widespread in the genus Leucorrhinia. The naiad of the dot-tailed whiteface is very small with a length of 9/16 to 3/4 inch (14–19 mm). Its abdomen is rounded, giving it a short, stocky appearance known as the sprawler form. Its brown in color and marked with either three dark stripes or two rows of dark spots running the length of the underside of the abdomen. There are needle-shaped hooks on the top of abdominal segments three through eight, and a single, rear-facing spine on each side of abdominal segments eight and nine.

The dot-tailed whiteface is a small dragonfly with a length of 1 to 11/5 inches (25 to 38 mm). It is distinguished by the mostly black body, small black basal wing spots, black legs, and white face. Male dot-tailed whitefaces have one yellow spot on the dorsal side of the abdomen. Female dot-tailed whitefaces have multiple yellow spots along the dorsal side of the abdomen and the last yellow spot is large and square shaped. There is also a small yellow stripe along the lateral edge... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
2 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
3 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Montreal 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
2 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Seattle 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
5 Edmonton 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
6 Portland 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Vancouver 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Dot-Tailed Whiteface in Toronto?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Dot-Tailed Whiteface sighting in Toronto on a given day, based on 51 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 358th most-seen of the 1689 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.

When is the best time to see a Dot-Tailed Whiteface in Toronto?

June

In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Dot-Tailed Whiteface in Toronto on a given day, against under 5% in July to May, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Dot-Tailed Whiteface?

Between 2 and 5 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Dot-Tailed Whiteface sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Toronto the best place to see a Dot-Tailed Whiteface?

4th of 7

Of the 7 cities where we can rate Dot-Tailed Whiteface sightings, Toronto ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Montreal (Canada, about 10%), Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (United States, about 10%) and Seattle (United States, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Dot-Tailed Whiteface live in Toronto?

Same family: Libellulidae

The closest relatives of the Dot-Tailed Whiteface that you can see in Toronto (family Libellulidae, Skimmers) are Common Whitetail (about 10%), Blue Dasher (about 10%) and Twelve-Spotted Skimmer (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Dot-Tailed Whiteface sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Dot-Tailed Whiteface is recorded against all the insects logged in Toronto (51 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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