Orthetrum chrysostigma
• English name: Epaulet Skimmer
• German name: Rahmstreif-Blaupfeil
• French name: N/A
• Dutch name: Epauletoeverlibel
• Swedish name: N/A
• Norwegian name: N/A
• Finnish name: N/A
• Danish name: N/A
• Italian name: N/A
• Czech name: N/A
• Slovenian name: N/A
• Bulgarian name: N/A
Orthetrum chrysostigma
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 medium-sized species which in Europe occurs only in the far south-west and far south-east | |
| Classification | • suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Libellulidae | |
| Conservation status | • IUCN Red List Europe: Least Concern | |
| Scientific name | • Orthetrum chrysostigma (Burmeister, 1839) | |
| 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 | • chrysostigma: from Grk. χρυσός = gold +; στίγμα = mark, spot ⇒ for the golden pterostigma (rather than the yellow spot at the base of the hindwing) | |
| Distribution | • click or tap the Map button above | |
| Habitat | • slow-flowing rivers and streams, but also shallow lakes | |
| Dimensions | • typical body length: 39-48 mm; hindwing: 27-32 mm | |
| Notes | • libellulids are 'sitters': males spend a lot of time perched at the water's edge, waiting for females | |
| • about the same size as O. brunneum, with which it sometimes co-occurs | ||
| • immature animals are beige-yellow, with a white band on the side of the thorax and a black line dorsally on the abdomen | ||
| Both sexes | Head | • the eyes are green (brown-grey in immature animals) |
| Thorax | ➤ the white band on the side of the thorax is bordered by a black line in front of it and, often less visibly, a second black line behind it; in adult males this white band may be (partly) obscured by pruinescence | |
| • the distal part of the thorax often has a pinkish hue, especially in the female | ||
| Wings | ➤ the hindwing bears a small yellow patch at the base | |
| Male | Thorax | • the thorax is entirely pruinescent light blue; the white band on the side may not be very visible |
| Abdomen | • the abdomen is entirely pruinescent light blue and is waisted at S3-S4 | |
| Female | Thorax | • the thorax is yellow-brown with a black-bordered white band on the side |
| Abdomen | • the abdomen is yellow-brown with a black mid-dorsal line | |
| • the lower edge of S8 bulges | ||
| Photographs | • all of our photos below were made in Spain, Tunisia and Turkey |
LineDrawing: the male's abdomen in dorsal view, the female's wings and abdomen in dorsal view, and the female's head, thorax and abdomen in lateral view.
