Great Blue Skimmer

Great Blue Skimmer

Libellula vibrans

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
at Congaree National Park

In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%

137 Verified sightings at Congaree National Park From 2019 to 2026
172 In all 3 parks
June Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Great Blue Skimmer

The great blue skimmer (Libellula vibrans) is a dragonfly of the skimmer family. With a total length of 50 to 63 millimetres (2.0 to 2.5 in), it is one of the largest skimmers. The immature forms of the skimmer are brown in color and mature forms are blue-hued. This species is found near lakes, ponds, and slow streams in the eastern United States and rarely in southern Ontario.

Media related to Libellula vibrans at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Libellula vibrans at Wikispecies Libellula vibrans on BugGuide.Net Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~50%
2 Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Houston 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Baltimore 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Dallas 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Orlando 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Miami 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Great Blue Skimmer in Congaree National Park?

Likely

About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Great Blue Skimmer sighting in Congaree National Park on a given day, based on 137 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the most-seen of the 145 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Great Blue Skimmer in Congaree National Park?

June

In that month about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Great Blue Skimmer in Congaree National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to March, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Great Blue Skimmer?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

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

Which relatives of the Great Blue Skimmer live in Congaree National Park?

Same genus: Libellula

The closest relatives of the Great Blue Skimmer that you can see in Congaree National Park (genus Libellula, Chasers and King Skimmers) are Slaty Skimmer (about 10%) and Painted Skimmer (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Great Blue Skimmer sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Great Blue Skimmer is recorded against all the insects logged in Congaree National Park (137 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.

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