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Wandering Glider
Pantala flavescens
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumArthropoda (Arthropods)
- ClassInsecta (Insects)
- OrderOdonata (Dragonflies and Damselflies)
- FamilyLibellulidae (Skimmers)
- GenusPantala (Rainpool Gliders)
- SpeciesPantala flavescens (Wandering Glider)
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
5 Verified sightings at Tsavo West National Park From 2019 to 2026
227 In all 20 parks
November Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
About the Wandering Glider
Pantala flavescens, the globe skimmer, globe wanderer or wandering glider, is a wide-ranging dragonfly of the family Libellulidae. This species and Pantala hymenaea, the "spot-winged glider", are the only members of the genus Pantala. It was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1798. It is considered to be the most widespread dragonfly on the planet, with good populations on every continent except Antarctica, although rare in Europe. Globe skimmers make an annual multigenerational journey of some 18,000 km (about 11,200 miles); to complete the migration, individual globe skimmers fly more than 6,000 km (3,730 miles); one of the farthest known migrations of all insect species.
The dragonfly is up to 4.5 cm long, reaching wingspans between 7.2 cm and 8.4 cm. The front side of the head is yellowish to reddish. The thorax is usually yellow to golden coloured with a dark and hairy line. There were also specimens with a brown or olive thorax. The abdomen has a similar colour as the thorax.
The wings are clear and very broad at the base. There, too, there are some specimens with olive, brown and yellow wings. On Easter Island there... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Wandering Glider in Tsavo West National Park
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Kanha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Palo Verde National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Minneriya National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 5 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 6 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 7 | Khao Yai National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 8 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 9 | Taroko National Park | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 10 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 11 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 12 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 14 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 16 | Parque Natural Metropolitano | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 17 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 18 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 19 | Galápagos Islands | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 20 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Cities Where Found
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kota | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Rajkot | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Lusaka | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 4 | Yogyakarta | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 5 | Hyderabad | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Salem | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Antananarivo | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 8 | Vadodara | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 9 | Nagpur | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 10 | Bengaluru | 🇮🇳 India |
Closest Relatives at Tsavo West National Park
No species of the same family or order lives in Tsavo West National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other insects.
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Wandering Glider in Tsavo West National Park?
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Wandering Glider sighting in Tsavo West National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 7th most-seen of the 10 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Wandering Glider in Tsavo West National Park?
November
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Wandering Glider in Tsavo West National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January to October, the lowest months. That is one of Tsavo West National Park's wettest months, with about 140 mm of rain against 5 mm in July.
What time of day is best to see a Wandering Glider?
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Wandering Glider 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 Tsavo West National Park the best place to see a Wandering Glider?
Yes
Of the 20 parks where we can rate Wandering Glider sightings, Tsavo West National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Kanha National Park (India, about 20%) and Palo Verde National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%).
Where does the Wandering Glider sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Wandering Glider is recorded against all the insects logged in Tsavo West National Park (5 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.
