Dromogomphus spinosus
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Dromogomphus spinosus, the black-shouldered spinyleg, is a species of dragonflies in the family Gomphidae. Like other spinylegs, D. spinosus have long spines on their legs that help in the capture of prey. True to their name their shoulders are black. The dorsal thorax has a light green I-shaped mark with pale ovals on either side. Their flight time is between late May and early September from southern Manitoba to the east coast of the US as far south as Florida. Terminal segments form a club with yellow lateral markings.
Adults average 2.5 in (64 mm). Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Black-Shouldered Spinyleg sighting in Congaree National Park on a given day, based on 21 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 54th most-seen of the 145 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Black-Shouldered Spinyleg in Congaree National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August to March, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-Shouldered Spinyleg sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Black-Shouldered Spinyleg sightings, Congaree National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Shenandoah National Park (United States, under 5%) and Great Smoky Mountains National Park (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Gomphidae
The closest relatives of the Black-Shouldered Spinyleg that you can see in Congaree National Park (family Gomphidae, Clubtails) are Dragonhunter (about 10%), Cocoa Clubtail (about 10%) and Lancet Clubtail (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-Shouldered Spinyleg is recorded against all the insects logged in Congaree National Park (21 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
