Variable Dancer

Variable Dancer

Argia fumipennis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Congaree National Park

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%

6 Verified sightings at Congaree National Park From 2019 to 2026
96 In all 5 parks
April Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Variable Dancer

The variable dancer (Argia fumipennis) is a damselfly of the family Coenagrionidae. It is native to North America, where it is widespread throughout the east and present in the interior western United States. The male of the subspecies A. f. violacea (the violet dancer) is purple with a blue tip. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Guadalupe Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Baltimore 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Orlando 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
6 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Variable Dancer in Congaree National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Variable Dancer sighting in Congaree National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 117th most-seen of the 145 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Variable Dancer in Congaree National Park?

April and August

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Variable Dancer in Congaree National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May–July and September–March, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Variable Dancer?

Between noon and 3 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Variable Dancer sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Congaree National Park the best place to see a Variable Dancer?

Among the best

Of the 5 parks where we can rate Variable Dancer sightings, Congaree National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Acadia National Park (United States, about 10%) and Guadalupe Mountains National Park (United States, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Variable Dancer live in Congaree National Park?

Same genus: Argia

The closest relatives of the Variable Dancer that you can see in Congaree National Park (genus Argia, Dancers) are Blue-Tipped Dancer (about 10%) and Blue-Fronted Dancer (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Variable Dancer sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Variable Dancer is recorded against all the insects logged in Congaree National Park (6 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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