Libellula vibrans
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
The great blue skimmer (Libellula vibrans) is a dragonfly of the skimmer family. With a total length of 50 to 63 millimetres (2.0 to 2.5 in), it is one of the largest skimmers. The immature forms of the skimmer are brown in color and mature forms are blue-hued. This species is found near lakes, ponds, and slow streams in the eastern United States and rarely in southern Ontario.
Media related to Libellula vibrans at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Libellula vibrans at Wikispecies Libellula vibrans on BugGuide.Net Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Great Blue Skimmer sighting in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 22 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 65th most-seen of the 189 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.
April and May
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Great Blue Skimmer in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in July–August and October–February, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Great Blue Skimmer sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Great Blue Skimmer sightings, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Congaree National Park (United States, about 50%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Great Blue Skimmer is recorded against all the insects logged in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (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.
