| Keeled skimmer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Mature male, Cyprus | |
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| Female, Porto Covo, Portugal | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Odonata |
| Infraorder: | Anisoptera |
| Family: | Libellulidae |
| Genus: | Orthetrum |
| Species: | O. coerulescens |
| Binomial name | |
| Orthetrum coerulescens (Fabricius, 1798) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The keeled skimmer (Orthetrum coerulescens) is a species of dragonfly belonging to the family Libellulidae. [2]
The keeled skimmer is common in central and southern Europe, marginally entering into Russia, [3] and in North Africa. It is locally common in western Britain and Ireland. [4]
This species is present in Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Finland; France; Georgia; Greece; Hungary; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Ireland; Italy; Lebanon; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Montenegro; Morocco; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Russian Federation; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Syrian Arab Republic; Tunisia; Turkey; Ukraine; United Kingdom. [3]
The typical habitats ofOrthetrum coerulescens are pools and streams in acidic heath land, where it is sometimes seen alongside golden-ringed dragonflies.
Pools and streams in wet heathland sites are favoured.
Orthetrum coerulescens can reach a body length of 40–44 millimetres (1.6–1.7 in). [4] These dragonflies have a thorax with pale yellow ante-humeral stripes. In the males the color of these stripes fades with age. The abdomen is rather slim and shows an evident dorsal keel. Males have blue-grey eyes and a blue pruinescence on the abdomen, developed with age. Young males are yellow-brown. On the contrary some (androchrome) females at the end of the reproductive cycle assume the bluish color of the male. In the female the abdomen is yellowish-brown, with a thin median black line and small transverse lines to the connections of the various segments. The hyaline wings have yellow costa and a long yellow-brown pterostigma (about 4 mm). They are usually hold well forward at rest. [4]
This species resembles the black-tailed skimmer [4] but is smaller and slimmer and the male has no black tip. Females and immature males lack the black abdominal pattern.
Adults fly (in the UK) from June to September. [4] Its flight is quite skittish, with frequent hovering, and it lands often. It can fly quite a distance from water, despite its seemingly weak flight. When it perches, the wings are held forward. This species breed mainly in peat bogs. The mating lasts between 5 and 120 seconds. The mating wheel usually lands, but not always. After copulation and a short rest period on the side of the male, the female flies, followed by the male to the water and lays the eggs in flight by touching the surface of the water. The larvae develop in running water but also in stagnant waters (ponds, peat bogs, etc.). After five to six weeks, the larvae hatch. Their development cycle is estimated in two years.
The black-tailed skimmer is a dragonfly belonging to the family Libellulidae.
The red-veined darter or nomad is a dragonfly of the genus Sympetrum.
The Large red damselfly, Pyrrhosoma nymphula, is a species of damselflies belonging to the family Coenagrionidae.
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 population on every continent except Antarctica although rare in Europe. Globe skimmers make an annual multigenerational journey of some 18,000 km ; to complete the migration, individual globe skimmers fly more than 6,000 km —one of the farthest known migrations of all insect species.
Orthetrum is a large genus of dragonflies in the Libellulidae family. They are commonly referred to as skimmers.
The scarlet dragonfly is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. Its common names include broad scarlet, common scarlet-darter, and scarlet darter.
Orthetrum caledonicum, the blue skimmer, is a common Australian dragonfly in the family Libellulidae.
Sympetrum danae, the black darter or black meadowhawk is a dragonfly found in northern Europe, Asia, and North America. At about 30 mm (1.2 in) long, it is Britain's smallest resident dragonfly. It is a very active late summer insect typical of heathland and moorland bog pools.
The white-legged damselfly or blue featherleg is a damselfly of slow-flowing, muddy waters. It occurs from the Atlantic to Siberia and is often abundant throughout its range.
Nesciothemis farinosa (Eastern Blacktail) is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae.
Ophiogomphus cecilia, the green snaketail, green gomphid, or green club-tailed dragonfly, is a species of dragonfly in the family Gomphidae.
Orthetrum abbotti is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. Common names include little skimmer and Abbott's skimmer.
Orthetrum chrysostigma, the epaulet skimmer, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is found in Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and possibly Burundi as well as Canary Islands, Israel, and Portugal. It was recently recorded in the Maltese Islands in 2010. One was also spotted in Tel Aviv, Israel in august of 2022.
Orthetrum icteromelas, the spectacled skimmer is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and possibly Burundi. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, and rivers.
Orthetrum sabina, the slender skimmer or green marsh hawk, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is widespread, being found from south-eastern Europe and North Africa to Japan and south to Australia and Micronesia.
The white-faced darter or small whiteface is a dragonfly belonging to the genus Leucorrhinia in the family Libellulidae, characterised by red and black markings and a distinctive white patch on the head. It is found in wetlands and peat bogs from northern Europe eastwards to Siberia, and the adults are active from around April till September, which is known as the "flight period". It breeds in acidic bodies of water, laying its eggs in clumps of sphagnum moss that provide a safe habitat for larval development. The larvae are particularly vulnerable to predation by fish, and so are usually found in lakes where fish are not present. L. dubia is listed as a species of least concern (LC) by the IUCN Red List, however, it is potentially threatened by habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change.
The Hudsonian whiteface is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. Its common name comes from where it is found, Hudson Bay.
Orthetrum brunneum, the southern skimmer, is a species of 'skimmers' belonging to the family Libellulidae.
Orthetrum migratum is an Australian freshwater dragonfly species in the family Libellulidae. The common name for this species is rosy skimmer. It inhabits streams, boggy seepages, riverine pools and swamps across northern Australia.
Orthetrum serapia, the green skimmer, is a freshwater dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. The serapia species is present in Australia, the Philippines, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. It inhabits a wide range of still and sluggish waters, often shallow. In Australia it ranges from the top end of the Northern Territory to about Mackay in central Queensland.
Media related to Orthetrum coerulescens at Wikimedia Commons
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