Sympetrum internum
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Sympetrum internum, the cherry-faced meadowhawk, is a dragonfly of the genus Sympetrum. It is found across northern and central United States and most of Canada, including southern portions of Yukon and the Northwest Territories. Its abdomen is brown, turning dark red at maturity in both sexes. The sides of the abdomen are marked with black triangles and the legs are black. Some females have amber in basal areas of their wings. As their name suggests, faces are dark red when mature. Size: 21–36 mm (0.83–1.42 in). This species overlaps with and is difficult to distinguish from the ruby, saffron-winged, and white-faced meadowhawks. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Cherry-Faced Meadowhawk sighting in Yellowstone National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 127th most-seen of the 160 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.
August and September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Cherry-Faced Meadowhawk in Yellowstone National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to July, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Cherry-Faced Meadowhawk sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Cherry-Faced Meadowhawk sightings, Yellowstone National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Rocky Mountain National Park (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Cherry-Faced Meadowhawk is recorded against all the insects logged in Yellowstone 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.
