Synlestes selysi
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
Synlestes selysi is a species of Australian damselfly in the family Synlestidae, commonly known as a forest needle. It is endemic to eastern New South Wales and eastern Queensland, where it inhabits streams. Synlestes selysi is a large to very large damselfly, coloured a metallic green-black with pale markings. It perches with its wings partially or fully outspread.
The genus name Synlestes is derived from the Greek σύν (syn, "together"), combined with Lestes, a genus name derived from the Greek λῃστής (lēstēs, "robber"). List of Odonata species of Australia Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Forest Needle sighting in Lamington National Park on a given day, based on 61 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 38th 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.
December
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Forest Needle in Lamington National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June to September, the lowest months. That is one of Lamington National Park's wettest months, with about 140 mm of rain against 40 mm in August.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Forest Needle sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Forest Needle sightings, Lamington National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Springbrook National Park (Australia, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Forest Needle is recorded against all the insects logged in Lamington National Park (61 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.
