Vagrant Darter

Vagrant Darter

Sympetrum vulgatum

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Wadden Sea National Park

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

14 Verified sightings at Wadden Sea National Park From 2019 to 2026
44 In all 4 parks
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Vagrant Darter

The vagrant darter, or moustached darter, (Sympetrum vulgatum) is a European dragonfly. The species takes its English name from its habit of occasionally appearing as a rare vagrant north of its normal range. However, it is likely to be under-recorded because it is very similar to the common darter (S. striolatum).

The species is common in central and northeast Europe. It breeds in standing water. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~20%
2 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
3 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
4 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Helsinki 🇫🇮 Finland
~30%
2 Astana 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
~20%
3 Warsaw 🇵🇱 Poland
~10%
4 Rotterdam [The Hague] 🇳🇱 Netherlands
~10%
5 Moscow 🇷🇺 Russia
~10%
6 Saint Petersburg 🇷🇺 Russia
~10%
7 Stockholm 🇸🇪 Sweden
~10%
8 Kazan 🇷🇺 Russia
~10%
9 Novosibirsk 🇷🇺 Russia
~10%
10 Nizhny Novgorod 🇷🇺 Russia
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Vagrant Darter in Wadden Sea National Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Vagrant Darter sighting in Wadden Sea National Park on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 361st most-seen of the 818 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Vagrant Darter in Wadden Sea National Park?

July to September

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Vagrant Darter in Wadden Sea National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to June, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Vagrant Darter?

Between 2 and 5 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Vagrant Darter sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Wadden Sea National Park the best place to see a Vagrant Darter?

3rd of 4

Of the 4 parks where we can rate Vagrant Darter sightings, Wadden Sea National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Biebrza National Park (Poland, about 20%) and Bavarian Forest National Park (Germany, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Vagrant Darter live in Wadden Sea National Park?

Same genus: Sympetrum

The closest relatives of the Vagrant Darter that you can see in Wadden Sea National Park (genus Sympetrum, Meadowhawks) are Common Darter (about 10%) and Ruddy Darter (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Vagrant Darter sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Vagrant Darter is recorded against all the insects logged in Wadden Sea National Park (14 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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