Cordulia shurtleffii
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The American emerald (Cordulia shurtleffii) is a species of dragonfly found in North America. It is colored mostly black with a yellow ring between segments 2 and 3.. The distribution range of this dragonfly includes the northern United States and Canada, with a typical body length ranging from 1.7 to 2.0 inches. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riding Mountain National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Elk Island National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Isle Royale National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Gros Morne National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an American Emerald sighting in Yosemite National Park on a given day, based on 22 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 85th most-seen of the 227 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June to August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an American Emerald in Yosemite National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to May, the lowest months. Those are among Yosemite National Park's driest months, with about 25 mm of rain a month against 220 mm in January.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most American Emerald sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all 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 American Emerald sightings, Yosemite National Park ranks 5th at about 10%. The best odds are in Riding Mountain National Park (Canada, about 20%), Elk Island National Park (Canada, about 10%) and Isle Royale National Park (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the American Emerald is recorded against all the insects logged in Yosemite National Park (22 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.
