Black-Headed Skimmer

Black-Headed Skimmer

Crocothemis nigrifrons

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

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

6 Verified sightings at Lamington National Park From 2019 to 2026
38 In all 3 parks
November Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Black-Headed Skimmer

Crocothemis nigrifrons is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. Its common names include black-headed skimmer and blue-scarlet dragonfly. It is found in Australia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. The male is blue and black, and the female is yellow to brown in color.

The species is usually found near still or sluggish waters and is common over much of its range. The genus name Crocothemis is derived from the Greek κρόκος (krokos, "crocus", the source of saffron) 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. The name refers to the amber coloration at the base of the wings.

The species name nigrifrons is derived from the Latin niger ("black") and frons ("forehead" or "brow"), referring to the black face. List of Odonata species of Australia Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kakadu National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
2 Lamington National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
3 Springbrook National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%

Cities Where Found

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

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Black-Headed Skimmer in Lamington National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-Headed Skimmer sighting in Lamington National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 365th most-seen of the 430 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Black-Headed Skimmer in Lamington National Park?

February and November–December

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-Headed Skimmer in Lamington National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January and March–October, the lowest months. Those are among Lamington National Park's wettest months, with about 140 mm of rain a month against 40 mm in August.

What time of day is best to see a Black-Headed Skimmer?

Between 7 and 10 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-Headed Skimmer 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-Headed Skimmer?

2nd of 3

Of the 3 parks where we can rate Black-Headed Skimmer sightings, Lamington National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Kakadu National Park (Australia, about 20%).

Which relatives of the Black-Headed Skimmer live in Lamington National Park?

Same family: Libellulidae

The closest relatives of the Black-Headed Skimmer that you can see in Lamington National Park (family Libellulidae, Skimmers) are Scarlet Percher (about 40%), Fiery Skimmer (about 40%) and Blue Skimmer (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Black-Headed Skimmer sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Black-Headed Skimmer is recorded against all the insects logged in Lamington National Park (6 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.

← Back to Lamington National Park