Neurothemis stigmatizans
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
Neurothemis stigmatizans, known as the painted grasshawk, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. The genus Neurothemis is distributed from India to the western Pacific. This species is found in northern Australia in an arc from the southern Queensland border to Broome, Western Australia.
Neurothemis stigmatizans is a medium sized dragonfly (wingspan 60-85mm) which inhabits still waters in the vicinity of grassy areas. The male abdomen is reddish-brown with a lighter dorsal stripe, his wings have deep reddish-brown markings that extend past the nodus, with paler contrasting veins. The female is pale greenish-yellow with a dark dorsal stripe and side stripe; her wings are mostly hyaline with a dark smudge beyond the nodus and dark wingtips. The pterostigma of both sexes is pink or pale coloured.
The genus name Neurothemis combines the Greek νεῦρον (neuron, "nerve" or "vein") and -themis, from Greek Θέμις (Themis), the goddess of divine law, order and justice. The species name stigmatizans is derived from the Latin stigmatizo ("to mark with a spot or brand"), likely referring to the distinctive markings on the wings. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Painted Grasshawk sighting in Kakadu National Park on a given day, based on 103 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 76 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.
January and April
In those months about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Painted Grasshawk in Kakadu National Park on a given day, against about 20% in July, the lowest month. Those are among Kakadu National Park's wettest months, with about 200 mm of rain a month against almost none in August.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Painted Grasshawk sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Painted Grasshawk sightings, Kakadu National Park ranks 2nd at about 40%. The best odds are in Litchfield National Park (Australia, about 70%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Libellulidae
The closest relatives of the Painted Grasshawk that you can see in Kakadu National Park (family Libellulidae, Skimmers) are Graphic Flutterer (about 40%), Common Glider (about 30%) and Pygmy Percher (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Painted Grasshawk is recorded against all the insects logged in Kakadu National Park (103 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.
