Lestes tridens
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Lestes tridens is a species of damselfly in the family Lestidae, the spreadwings. It is known commonly as the spotted spreadwing. It is native to much of the southern half of Africa, where it is widespread. It lives along the edges of lakes and swamps. It is not considered to be threatened. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | uMkhuze Game Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an African Spotted Spreadwing sighting in Garden Route National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 236th most-seen of the 298 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.
March–April, September and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an African Spotted Spreadwing in Garden Route National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May–August, October and December–February, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most African Spotted Spreadwing sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate African Spotted Spreadwing sightings, Garden Route National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in uMkhuze Game Reserve (South Africa, about 20%) and iSimangaliso Wetland Park (South Africa, about 10%).
Same genus: Lestes
The closest relatives of the African Spotted Spreadwing that you can see in Garden Route National Park (genus Lestes, Pond Spreadwings) are Smoky Spreadwing (about 10%) and Common Spreadwing (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the African Spotted Spreadwing is recorded against all the insects logged in Garden Route National Park (7 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.
