Libelloides longicornis
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Libelloides longicornis, common name black yellow owlfly, is an owlfly species belonging to the family Ascalaphidae, subfamily Ascalaphinae. This species is present in South Western Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland). These insects mainly occur in the sunny meadows at rather high elevation.
Libelloides longicornis can reach a length of 25–30 mm (0.98–1.18 in) and a wingspan of 38–58 mm (1.5–2.3 in). The body of these large owlflies is black, quite hairy, with some yellow markings. Also the head is black, with large compound eyes. The long sturdy black antennae are clubbed.
The wings do not have scales, are partly transparent and show a network of translucent lemon yellow ribs. In the fore wings appears a small basal dark spot reaching the base of the wings. The hind wings have a characteristic squared dark area towards the apex and a dark triangular sickle-shaped spot pointing to the wing tip.
The wings are usually held spread in sunny areas, as in dragonflies, but when they are at rest they fold their roof-shaped wings over their abdomen. This species is rather similar to Libelloides coccajus, but in Libelloides... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Mercantour National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 4 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 5 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Libelloides longicornis sighting in Mercantour National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 348th most-seen of the 412 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Libelloides longicornis in Mercantour National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August to May, the lowest months.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Libelloides longicornis sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Libelloides longicornis sightings, Mercantour National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Sierra Nevada National Park (Spain, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Libelloides longicornis is recorded against all the insects logged in Mercantour 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.
