Lemon-Tipped Helicopter

Lemon-Tipped Helicopter

Mecistogaster ornata

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Rincón de la Vieja National Park

In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%

15 Verified sightings at Rincón de la Vieja National Park From 2019 to 2026
113 In all 8 parks
November Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Lemon-Tipped Helicopter

Mecistogaster ornata, the lemon-tipped helicopter, or ornate helicopter, is a species of narrow-winged damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. It is found in Central America and South America. The IUCN conservation status of Mecistogaster ornata is "LC", least concern, with no immediate threat to the species' survival. The IUCN status was reviewed in 2009. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
2 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
3 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
4 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
5 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
6 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
7 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
8 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Lemon-Tipped Helicopter in Rincón de la Vieja National Park?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Lemon-Tipped Helicopter sighting in Rincón de la Vieja National Park on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 10th most-seen of the 56 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Lemon-Tipped Helicopter in Rincón de la Vieja National Park?

November

In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Lemon-Tipped Helicopter in Rincón de la Vieja National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April, June, August and October, the lowest months. That is one of Rincón de la Vieja National Park's wettest months, with about 290 mm of rain against 45 mm in February.

What time of day is best to see a Lemon-Tipped Helicopter?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lemon-Tipped Helicopter sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Rincón de la Vieja National Park the best place to see a Lemon-Tipped Helicopter?

Yes

Of the 8 parks where we can rate Lemon-Tipped Helicopter sightings, Rincón de la Vieja National Park has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Carara National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%) and Manuel Antonio National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Lemon-Tipped Helicopter live in Rincón de la Vieja National Park?

Same family: Coenagrionidae

The closest relatives of the Lemon-Tipped Helicopter that you can see in Rincón de la Vieja National Park (family Coenagrionidae, Narrow-winged Damselflies) are Cerulean Dancer (about 20%) and Purple Dancer (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Lemon-Tipped Helicopter sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Lemon-Tipped Helicopter is recorded against all the insects logged in Rincón de la Vieja National Park (15 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.

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