Perithemis tenera
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The eastern amberwing (Perithemis tenera) is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is very small, reaching a total length of no more than 25 millimetres (0.98 in). The males have orange or amber wings, which likely contain pheomelanin. Both sexes have a red pterostigma. It is found in eastern North America, from northern Mexico north to south-eastern Canada.
The eastern amberwing dragonfly is one of the only types of dragonfly that actively mimics a wasp. The yellow and brown stripes on its abdomen encourage predators to stay away. When perched, they wiggle their abdomen and wings in a wasp-like fashion to deter other animals from eating it. Males have an elaborate courtship ritual. When a female approaches his territory, the male will lead her to his selected egg-laying site and hover above it with wings whirring and abdomen raised.
The common name refers to its eastern range, although this dragonfly does extend westward well into the central part of the United States. The scientific name, tenera, means delicate and alludes to its small size. Media related to Perithemis tenera at Wikimedia Commons
Perithemis tenera... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Lago de Yojoa | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 4 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 6 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Soberanía National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 9 | Parque Natural Metropolitano | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 10 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Rosario | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 7 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Amberwing sighting in Toronto on a given day, based on 143 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 177th 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 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June to August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Amberwing in Toronto on a given day, against under 5% in September to May, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Eastern Amberwing sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 21 cities where we can rate Eastern Amberwing sightings, Toronto ranks 16th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Orlando (United States, about 10%), Austin (United States, about 10%) and Miami (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Libellulidae
The closest relatives of the Eastern Amberwing 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.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Eastern Amberwing is recorded against all the insects logged in Toronto (143 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.
