Orthetrum trinacria

• English name: Long Skimmer
• German name: Langer Blaupfeil
• French name: Orthétrum de Sicile
• Dutch name: Lange oeverlibel
• Swedish name: N/A
• Norwegian name: N/A
• Finnish name: N/A
• Danish name: N/A
• Italian name: Frecciazzurra meridionale
• Czech name: N/A
• Slovenian name: N/A
• Bulgarian name: N/A

Orthetrum trinacria

Not present

Present before 1990

Present after 1990

Present before and after 1990

Present after 2015

Map data based on J.-P. Boudot & V. J. Kalkman (eds.),
Atlas of the European Dragonflies and Damselflies

General		➤ a large, elongated species which in Europe occurs only in Iberia and on Sardinia and Sicily
Classification		• suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Libellulidae
Conservation status		• IUCN Red List Europe: Least Concern
Scientific name		• Orthetrum trinacria (Selys, 1841)
Name genus		• Orthetrum: from Grk. ὀρθός = straight, parallel +; ἦτρον = abdomen ⇒ Newman described Orthetrum species as having the 'abdomen laterally parallel' (as distinct from Sympetrum species, which have the 'abdomen laterally compressed')
Name species		• trinacria: from Grk. Τρινακρία, an ancient Greek name for Sicily ⇒ the island from which the first specimen was described
Distribution		• click or tap the Map button above
Habitat		• large reed-bordered lakes
Dimensions		• typical body length: 51-67 mm; hindwing: 34-38 mm
Notes		• libellulids are 'sitters': males spend a lot of time perched at the water's edge, waiting for females
		• an aggressive species which often preys on smaller dragonflies and damselflies
Both sexes	Head	• in mature animals the eyes are blue-green; in immature animals they are beige-brown
	Abdomen	• the abdomen is long and slender
		➤ S1-S3 are noticeably bulbous in shape
		• the appendages are long and black(-tipped)
Male	Thorax	• in mature males the thorax is dark blue
		• in immature males the thorax (incl. the antehumeral stripe) is pale yellow, with black lines on the side
	Abdomen	• in mature males the abdomen is black with a thin layer of white pruinescence, especially on S2-S3 and S8-S10
		• in immature males the abdomen is white with extensive black markings
Female	Thorax	• the thorax (incl. the antehumeral stripe) is yellow, with black lines on the side
	Abdomen	• the abdomen is white with extensive black markings
Photographs		• nearly all of our photos below were made in Spain and on Sardinia