Ischnura heterosticta
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
Ischnura heterosticta, one of at least two species with the common name common bluetail, is an Australian damselfly of the family Coenagrionidae. It is the largest of the three Ischnura species in Australia. They are generally found near slow-running or still water. The species is also salt tolerant. It flies from October to March.
The common bluetail is a small damselfly. Most males have blue eyes, a blue thorax, and a blue ringed tail. The females have a variety of forms including green, brown, black, and a form with very similar colourings to the male.
In Australia, Ischnura heterosticta is found throughout the entire continent including Tasmania. The genus name Ischnura is derived from the Greek ἰσχνός (ischnos, "thin" or "slender") and οὐρά (oura, "tail"), referring to the slender abdomen of species in the genus.
The species name heterosticta is derived from the Greek ἕτερος (heteros, "different") and στικτός (stiktos, "spotted" or "tattooed"), referring to the differently coloured pterostigma on the forewings and hindwings. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report an Australian Bluetail sighting in Lamington National Park on a given day, based on 40 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 54th most-seen of the 430 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September and October
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report an Australian Bluetail in Lamington National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June and July, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Australian Bluetail sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Australian Bluetail sightings, Lamington National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Kakadu National Park (Australia, about 20%) and Grampians National Park (Australia, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Australian Bluetail is recorded against all the insects logged in Lamington National Park (40 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.
