Category Archives: Wildlife

Family: Libellulidae
English common name: Epaulet Skimmer (Burmeister, 1839)
Scientific name: Orthetrum chrysostigma
Spanish name: libélula azul

The Epaulet Skimmer – Orthetrum chrysostigma – Libélula azul is one of a number of dragonfly species where the mature male is predominantly blue and the female is predominantly a tan/brown colour. However it is unique amongst the Skimmers occurring on the Iberian peninsula in having a single white stripe or “epaulet” outlined in black on each side of the thorax. These are clearly visible when the insect is viewed from the side, running from just above the middle leg to just below the base of the forewing and are present in both sexes regardless of their maturity (with the possible exception of really old males).

Total length: 39 to 46mm
Hind Wing length: 27 to 32mm
Flight period in Iberia: Late March to mid December
Habitat: Marshes, streams & pools in open terrain, plus man made water bodies.
Distribution: Southern Portugal & Spain, North Africa & the Near East. Not uncommon in southern Portugal and Spain, absent from the north of the Iberian peninsula but perhaps expanding its range in that direction.

The Epaulet Skimmer is widespread throughout the Sahara, its larvae able to survive in moist sand, suggesting that it is an insect very well adapted to surviving in an arid landscape.

Sometimes found around man made water bodies such as drainage channels & water tanks, the Epaulet Skimmer may utilize such sites as breeding habitats. A recently emerged (teneral) male, complete with the cast off larval skin (exuvia), was found clinging to one of the few stems of vegetation growing on the wall of a deep concrete water tank. The tank, which was adjacent to the main N340a near Nerja in Andalucia, measured approximately 1.5m x 1.5m and fed the leats radiating into the surrounding agricultural land. As water only appeared to flow out of the tank I can only assume that the larval stage was completed entirely within the confines of the tank. (The presence of an exuvia is regarded as being conclusive proof of successful breeding at any locality.)

Similar species

Superficially similar to the Keeled Skimmer (Orthetrum coerulescens), the Southern Skimmer (O.brunneum) and the Yellow-veined Skimmer (O.nitidinerve), however unlike those species the male Epaulet Skimmer has a noticeably waisted abdomen.

There is often a very small amber patch at the base of the hind wing which may serve to help separate it from the similar Southern Skimmer (Orthetrum brunneum) and the Yellow-veined Skimmer (Orthetrum nitidinerve).

The Keeled Skimmer (Orthetrum coerulescens) has pale stripes on the upper surface of the thorax, but when viewed from the side they appear to run along the top edge of the thorax – from the pronotum to the forewing.

Credits

Thanks to Steve Jones of for the images and excellent, informative text in this article.
Top Image: By I, Jörg Hempel, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6998229

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Dragonflies and Damselflies, Wildlife

Desert Darter – Sympetrum sinaiticum – Libélula Flecha Roja

April 10, 2023 clive Leave a comment

Family: Libellulidae
Scientific name: Sympetrum sinaiticum Dumont, 1977
English common name: Desert Darter
Spanish common name: Libélula Flecha Roja

The relatively small Desert Darter – Sympetrum sinaiticum – Libélula Flecha Roja is comparatively scarce in Spain, but in recent years it has started to become more frequently encountered. This may be as a result of a greater awareness of the species or perhaps as a result of climate change. It is a species of arid regions and individuals are frequently found a long way from water. In this respect the species is unusual amongst the Iberian dragonfly fauna in that adults seem to delay reproductive behaviour for perhaps two months or so before returning to water to breed.

Details

Total length: 34 to 37mm
Hind Wing length: 24 to 29mm
Altitude: Sea level to 1500m+
Flight period in Iberia: early June to early November
Habitat: Rivers, ponds & man made water bodies.
Distribution: North Africa, the Middle East, southern & eastern Spain.

The species can be difficult to pick out in a large group of mixed darters but individually they are distinctive. The male’s red abdomen has an absence of dark central markings on the upper surface, a feature it shares with the Southern Darter – Sympetrum meridionale, however when viewed from the side both the male & female, (whose abdomen is a sandy yellow colour), have black markings high on the sides of segments 2 & 3 of the abdomen which are absent from the Southern Darter.

The Desert Darter may have extensive red veins in the wings, and blue grey undersides to the eyes leading to confusion with the Red-veined Darter – Sympetrum fonscolombei however careful examination of the abdomen as outlined above will help separate the two species in the field.