Rhodothemis lieftincki
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
Rhodothemis lieftincki, common name Red arrow, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. The genus Rhodothemis is found in India, south-east Asia and Australia. Rhodothemis lieftincki is the only species of the genus seen in Australia. It inhabits coastal and inland streams, rivers, lagoons and ponds in an arc around northern Australia, from about Geraldton in the west to Sydney in the east.
Rhodothemis lieftincki is a medium-sized dragonfly with a wingspan about 60-85mm. The adult male is red in colour, and the female is a duller brown or orange. Rhodothemis lieftincki has been assessed for the IUCN Red List as being of least concern.
The genus name Rhodothemis combines the Greek ῥόδο- (rhodo, "rosy") 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. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisbane | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Red Arrow sighting in Litchfield National Park on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 21st most-seen of the 43 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March and April
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Red Arrow in Litchfield National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July and October–February, the lowest months.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red Arrow 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 4 parks where we can rate Red Arrow sightings, Litchfield National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Kakadu National Park (Australia, about 10%) and Lamington National Park (Australia, about 10%).
Same family: Libellulidae
The closest relatives of the Red Arrow that you can see in Litchfield National Park (family Libellulidae, Skimmers) are Painted Grasshawk (about 70%), Pygmy Percher (about 40%) and Chalky Percher (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red Arrow is recorded against all the insects logged in Litchfield National Park (12 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.
