Platycnemis pennipes
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
The white-legged damselfly or blue featherleg (Platycnemis pennipes) is a damselfly of slow-flowing, muddy waters. It occurs from the Atlantic to Siberia and is often abundant throughout its range. Platycnemis pennipes is about 32 millimetres (1.3 in) long. Mature adults differ from most other blue damselflies in having expanded white edges to the tibiae, paired black markings down most of the abdomen, broad pale brown double antehumeral stripes, wider head and a pale brown pterostigmata.
The male has a blue abdomen that is often pale and usually has a greenish thorax. The female is a very pale yellow-green colour with black markings. This species favours unshaded slow-flowing sections of muddy rivers with abundant floating vegetation. it has been recorded in tidal rivers and the larvae seem well able to tolerate brackish water. It also occurs in muddy streams but is rare in lakes or ponds of any sort. In north-west Europe, it is mostly confined to flowing waters.
The males are very territorial and use their enlarged legs to impress other individuals. Elongated eggs are laid whilst in tandem, into emergent stems and especially the underside of floating... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kiskunság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 2 | Plitvice Lakes National Park | 🇭🇷 Croatia | |
| 3 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 4 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 5 | Triglav National Park | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | |
| 6 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 7 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 8 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Blue Featherleg sighting in Plitvice Lakes National Park on a given day, based on 25 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 15th most-seen of the 51 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June to August
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Blue Featherleg in Plitvice Lakes National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April–May and September–October, the lowest months. December has too few records to rate.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Blue Featherleg 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 8 parks where we can rate Blue Featherleg sightings, Plitvice Lakes National Park ranks 2nd at about 30%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Kiskunság National Park (Hungary, about 30%).
Same order: Odonata
The closest relatives of the Blue Featherleg that you can see in Plitvice Lakes National Park (order Odonata, Dragonflies and Damselflies) are Beautiful Demoiselle (about 80%), Common Blue Damselfly (about 50%) and Small Pincertail (about 50%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Blue Featherleg is recorded against all the insects logged in Plitvice Lakes National Park (25 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.
