Black-Faced Percher

Black-Faced Percher

Diplacodes melanopsis

Endemic
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Lamington National Park

In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%

22 Verified sightings at Lamington National Park From 2019 to 2026
47 In all 3 parks
December Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Black-Faced Percher

Diplacodes melanopsis is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae known commonly as the blackfaced percher or black-faced percher. It occurs on the Australian mainland from around Brisbane to the South Australian-Victorian border.

Diplacodes melanopsis is a small dragonfly. Mature males have a black face and front of its body, and a red abdomen with black markings; females are amber and yellow with black markings. The genus name Diplacodes combines Diplax, a genus name derived from the Greek δίς (dis, "twice") and πλάξ (plax, "flat and broad"), with the Greek suffix –ώδης (-ōdēs, "resembling" or "having the nature of"). The name refers to the similarity of the genus to Diplax and Diplacina.

The species name melanopsis is derived from the Greek μελαν- (melan, "black") and ὄψις (opsis, "face" or "appearance"), referring to its brilliant black face. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Lamington National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
2 Springbrook National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
3 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Sydney 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
2 Brisbane 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
3 Melbourne 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Black-Faced Percher in Lamington National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-Faced Percher sighting in Lamington National Park on a given day, based on 22 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 89th most-seen of the 430 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.

When is the best time to see a Black-Faced Percher in Lamington National Park?

December

In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Black-Faced Percher in Lamington National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April to August, the lowest months. That is one of Lamington National Park's wettest months, with about 140 mm of rain against 40 mm in August.

What time of day is best to see a Black-Faced Percher?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-Faced Percher sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Lamington National Park the best place to see a Black-Faced Percher?

Yes

Of the 3 parks where we can rate Black-Faced Percher sightings, Lamington National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Springbrook National Park (Australia, about 10%) and Great Otway National Park (Australia, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Black-Faced Percher live in Lamington National Park?

Same genus: Diplacodes

The closest relatives of the Black-Faced Percher that you can see in Lamington National Park (genus Diplacodes, Perchers) are Scarlet Percher (about 40%) and Wandering Percher (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Black-Faced Percher sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Black-Faced Percher is recorded against all the insects logged in Lamington National Park (22 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.

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