Sympetrum illotum
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Sympetrum illotum, the cardinal meadowhawk, is a species of skimmer in the dragonfly family Libellulidae. It is found in North America and South America, including islands in the Caribbean. The IUCN conservation status of Sympetrum illotum is least concern, with no immediate threat to the species' survival. The population is stable. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Chirripó National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 7 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toluca | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Puebla | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 4 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 6 | Guadalajara | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 7 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Cardinal Meadowhawk sighting in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve on a given day, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 162nd most-seen of the 506 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.
June–July, September and November–April
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Cardinal Meadowhawk in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in May, August and October, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Cardinal Meadowhawk 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 7 parks where we can rate Cardinal Meadowhawk sightings, Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Redwood National Park (United States, about 10%) and Chirripó National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Cardinal Meadowhawk is recorded against all the insects logged in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (18 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.
