Tetrathemis polleni
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Tetrathemis polleni, the black-splashed elf, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is found in sub-Saharan Africa from South Africa to Somalia, Ethiopia and Gambia. This dragonfly is found at shaded pools, such as those found in gallery forest.
Media related to Tetrathemis polleni at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Tetrathemis polleni at Wikispecies Tetrathemis polleni on African Dragonflies and Damselflies Online Black-splashed elf Species text in the Online Atlas of South African Odonata Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ankarafantsika National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 2 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durban | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-Splashed Elf sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 129th most-seen of the 316 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October to April
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-Splashed Elf in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, against under 5% in May to September, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-Splashed Elf 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 Black-Splashed Elf sightings, iSimangaliso Wetland Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Ankarafantsika National Park (Madagascar, about 40%).
Same family: Libellulidae
The closest relatives of the Black-Splashed Elf that you can see in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (family Libellulidae, Skimmers) are Lucia Widow (about 30%), Violet Dropwing (about 30%) and Southern Banded Groundling (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-Splashed Elf is recorded against all the insects logged in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (14 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.
