Orthetrum caledonicum
In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%
Orthetrum caledonicum, the blue skimmer, is a common Australian dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. Males have a powder blue thorax and abdomen pruinescent blue when mature. The females are brownish grey in colour while the teneral are yellow with black markings. They are medium in size, with a body length of 4.5 cm (2 in) and a wingspan of 7 cm (3 in).
The species is widespread throughout mainland Australia and extending to Tasmania. It is also found in New Guinea, New Caledonia, Loyalty Islands and Lesser Sunda Islands. It inhabits a range of still and flowing water habitats including temporary waters.
The genus name Orthetrum is derived from the Greek ὀρθός (orthos, "straight") and ἦτρον (ētron, "abdomen"), referring to the parallel-sided abdomen of the genus. The species name caledonicum is named for New Caledonia, where the original specimens of the species were collected.
Media related to Orthetrum caledonicum at Wikimedia Commons Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Hattah-Kulkyne National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Flinders Ranges National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 12 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Blue Skimmer sighting in Nitmiluk National Park on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 6th most-seen of the 17 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June and December
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Blue Skimmer in Nitmiluk National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September, the lowest month.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Blue Skimmer sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 12 parks where we can rate Blue Skimmer sightings, Nitmiluk National Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Lamington National Park (Australia, about 30%) and Hattah-Kulkyne National Park (Australia, about 30%).
Same family: Libellulidae
The closest relatives of the Blue Skimmer that you can see in Nitmiluk National Park (family Libellulidae, Skimmers) are Scarlet Percher (about 70%), Pygmy Percher (about 30%) and Painted Grasshawk (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Blue Skimmer is recorded against all the insects logged in Nitmiluk National Park (13 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.
