Stor blålibelle
(Orthetrum cancellatum)

The Black-Tailed Skimmer is one of Europe's most widespread species, absent only from Northern Scandinavia. It's a fairly large dragonfly. With age, adult males develop extensive blue pruinescence on their abdomen, which is offset by yellow lateral patches. The females and immature males are a beautiful deep yellow colour and have wavy black lines dorsally on their abdomen. Orthetrum cancellatum is very similar to its much more localized congener the White-Tailed Skimmer, and yet it's sufficiently different to allow easy identification in the field; the species' main distinguishing feature (apart from its slightly more stocky build and intense colours) is the dark colour of the male's S8-10 and appendages and of the female's appendages.

Click a thumbnail to display a larger version (1050 x 700 pixels) of each picture. And then, if you'd like to get even closer, you can drag the ZoomBox from the top-left corner across the photograph.

Please note: you may have to refresh the photo window manually (by pressing F5 on your keyboard) for the ZoomBox to display correctly.