Diplacodes luminans
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Diplacodes luminans is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae known commonly as the barbet percher. It is native to Central Africa, where it is widespread and common. This species is 34–40 mm long with a wingspan of 59–66 mm. The males have a black and yellow abdomen with a distinctive red base; both males and females have broad amber patches at the bases of the hindwings and six to seven antenodal crossveins.
It lives in many types of swampy habitat. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | uMkhuze Game Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Barbet Percher sighting in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 40th most-seen of the 44 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.
February
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Barbet Percher in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park on a given day, against under 5% in April to December, the lowest months. That is one of Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park's wettest months, with about 140 mm of rain against 15 mm in June.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Barbet Percher sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Barbet Percher sightings, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in uMkhuze Game Reserve (South Africa, about 20%).
Same family: Libellulidae
The closest relatives of the Barbet Percher that you can see in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park (family Libellulidae, Skimmers) are Orange-Winged Dropwing (about 20%), Lucia Widow (about 20%) and Southern Banded Groundling (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Barbet Percher is recorded against all the insects logged in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi 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.
