Orthetrum serapia
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Orthetrum serapia, the green skimmer, is a freshwater dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. The serapia species is present in Australia, the Philippines, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. It inhabits a wide range of still and sluggish waters, often shallow. In Australia it ranges from the top end of the Northern Territory to about Mackay in central Queensland.
Orthetrum serapia is a medium-sized dragonfly with a wingspan of 60-85mm. Its wings are clear except for a small dark spot at the base of the hindwing. The thorax is greenish to greyish yellow with black markings. The abdomen is black with pale yellow or pale green markings. Orthetrum serapia appears very similar to Orthetrum sabina and can be confused where the range of the two overlaps in north-eastern Australia.
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 serapia is an eponym honouring Saint Serapia, a slave, martyr, and servant of Saint Sabina.
List of Odonata species of Australia Media related to Orthetrum... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tangkoko Nature Reserve | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 2 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 3 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Davao City | 🇵🇭 Philippines | |
| 2 | Cebu City | 🇵🇭 Philippines | |
| 3 | Manila | 🇵🇭 Philippines | |
| 4 | Brisbane | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Green Skimmer sighting in Raja Ampat on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 27th most-seen of the 46 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Green Skimmer in Raja Ampat on a given day, against under 5% in April–July and December–February, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Green Skimmer sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 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 Green Skimmer sightings, Raja Ampat ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Tangkoko Nature Reserve (Indonesia, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Green Skimmer is recorded against all the insects logged in Raja Ampat (8 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.
