Rhodothemis lieftincki
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Rhodothemis lieftincki, common name Red arrow, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. The genus Rhodothemis is found in India, south-east Asia and Australia. Rhodothemis lieftincki is the only species of the genus seen in Australia. It inhabits coastal and inland streams, rivers, lagoons and ponds in an arc around northern Australia, from about Geraldton in the west to Sydney in the east.
Rhodothemis lieftincki is a medium-sized dragonfly with a wingspan about 60-85mm. The adult male is red in colour, and the female is a duller brown or orange. Rhodothemis lieftincki has been assessed for the IUCN Red List as being of least concern.
The genus name Rhodothemis combines the Greek ῥόδο- (rhodo, "rosy") and -themis, from Greek Θέμις (Themis), the goddess of divine law, order and justice. In early odonate taxonomy, names ending in -themis were widely used for dragonflies. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisbane | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Red Arrow sighting in Kakadu National Park on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 36th most-seen of the 76 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January, May and November
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Red Arrow in Kakadu National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–March, July, September–October and December, the lowest months. Those are among Kakadu National Park's wettest months, with about 160 mm of rain a month against almost none in August.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red Arrow 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 Red Arrow sightings, Kakadu National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Litchfield National Park (Australia, about 20%).
Same family: Libellulidae
The closest relatives of the Red Arrow that you can see in Kakadu National Park (family Libellulidae, Skimmers) are Painted Grasshawk (about 40%), Graphic Flutterer (about 40%) and Common Glider (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red Arrow is recorded against all the insects logged in Kakadu National 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.
