Calopteryx maculata
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The ebony jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata) is a species of broad-winged damselfly. One of about 150 species of Calopterygidae, it is found in the eastern U.S. and southeastern Canada, ranging west to the Great Plains. Other common names include black-winged damselfly.
It is between 39–57 mm (1.5–2.2 in). The male has a metallic blue-green body and black wings. The female is duller brown with smoky wings that have white spots near the tips (pseudopterostigmas). The naiad is pale brown with darker markings. There are some spots in the wings.
It lives near wooded streams and rivers, but it can move far from water. Ebony jewelwings mate in the summer. The male holds the female behind her head with his tail or abdomen. The female lays eggs in the soft stems of aquatic plants. The naiad eats small aquatic insects. When the naiad is fully grown, it crawls out of the water and molts.
This damselfly species can be seen almost year-round in some regions. Prey of this species includes the tiger mosquito, giant willow aphid, fungus gnats, crane flies, large diving beetles, eastern dobsonfly, water fleas, green darner... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Ebony Jewelwing sighting in Washington on a given day, based on 573 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 61st most-seen of the 1807 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report an Ebony Jewelwing in Washington on a given day, against under 5% in September to April, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ebony Jewelwing sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 11 cities where we can rate Ebony Jewelwing sightings, Washington ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Toronto (Canada, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Ebony Jewelwing is recorded against all the insects logged in Washington (573 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.
