Tetrathemis polleni
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
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 Kruger National Park on a given day, based on 72 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 265th most-seen of the 748 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.
December to February
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-Splashed Elf in Kruger National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March to November, the lowest months. Those are among Kruger National Park's wettest months, with about 100 mm of rain a month against almost none in August.
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.
4th of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Black-Splashed Elf sightings, Kruger National Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Ankarafantsika National Park (Madagascar, about 40%), iSimangaliso Wetland Park (South Africa, about 10%) and Garden Route National Park (South Africa, about 10%).
Same family: Libellulidae
The closest relatives of the Black-Splashed Elf that you can see in Kruger National Park (family Libellulidae, Skimmers) are Southern Banded Groundling (about 20%), Violet Dropwing (about 20%) and Orange-Winged Dropwing (about 20%), 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 Kruger National Park (72 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.
