Ischnura heterosticta
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Ischnura heterosticta, one of at least two species with the common name common bluetail, is an Australian damselfly of the family Coenagrionidae. It is the largest of the three Ischnura species in Australia. They are generally found near slow-running or still water. The species is also salt tolerant. It flies from October to March.
The common bluetail is a small damselfly. Most males have blue eyes, a blue thorax, and a blue ringed tail. The females have a variety of forms including green, brown, black, and a form with very similar colourings to the male.
In Australia, Ischnura heterosticta is found throughout the entire continent including Tasmania. The genus name Ischnura is derived from the Greek ἰσχνός (ischnos, "thin" or "slender") and οὐρά (oura, "tail"), referring to the slender abdomen of species in the genus.
The species name heterosticta is derived from the Greek ἕτερος (heteros, "different") and στικτός (stiktos, "spotted" or "tattooed"), referring to the differently coloured pterostigma on the forewings and hindwings. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Australian Bluetail sighting in Royal National Park on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 73rd most-seen of the 175 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October and November
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Australian Bluetail in Royal National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January and May–August, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Australian Bluetail sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
5th of 7
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Australian Bluetail sightings, Royal National Park ranks 5th at about 10%. The best odds are in Lamington National Park (Australia, about 20%), Kakadu National Park (Australia, about 20%) and Grampians National Park (Australia, about 10%).
Same order: Odonata
The closest relatives of the Australian Bluetail that you can see in Royal National Park (order Odonata, Dragonflies and Damselflies) are Common Flatwing (about 30%), Fiery Skimmer (about 20%) and Scarlet Percher (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Australian Bluetail is recorded against all the insects logged in Royal National Park (19 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.
