Southern Skimmer (Orthetrum brunneum)

• English name: Southern Skimmer
• German name: Südlicher Blaupfeil
• French name: Orthétrum brun
• Dutch name: Zuidelijke oeverlibel
• Swedish name: Blåpannad sjötrollslända
• Norwegian name: N/A
• Finnish name: Silosinikorento
• Danish name: Sydlig blåpil
• Italian name: Frecciazzurra celeste
• Czech name: vážka hnědoskvrnná
• Slovenian name: Sinji modrač
• Bulgarian name: Речно синилниче

Southern Skimmer
(Orthetrum brunneum)

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 of central and especially southern Europe; absent from the far north
Classification		• suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Libellulidae
Conservation status		• IUCN Red List Europe: Least Concern
Scientific name		• Orthetrum brunneum (Fonscolombe, 1837)
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		• brunneum: from Lat. brunneus, -a, -um = brown ⇒ for the colouration of immature animals; mature, pruinescent males were initially believed to be a separate species.
Distribution		• click or tap the Map button above
Habitat		• small, sunny streams
Dimensions		• typical body length: 41-49 mm; hindwing: 33-37 mm
Notes		• libellulids are 'sitters': males spend a lot of time perched at the water's edge, waiting for females
		➤ noticeably larger than O. coerulescens, with which it often co-occurs in the South
		• often sits on (pebbles on) the ground
		• immature animals are beige-yellow, with white bands on the side of the thorax
Both sexes	Wings	• for wing venation details click or tap here
Male	Head	➤ the face is a whitish pale blue
	Thorax	➤ the thorax is entirely pruinescent light blue; the white bands on the side may still be visible
	Abdomen	• the abdomen is entirely pruinescent light blue
Female	Thorax	• the thorax is yellow-brown with white bands on the side
	Abdomen	• the abdomen is yellow-brown with a black mid-dorsal line
		• the lower edge of S8 bulges
Photographs		• nearly all of our photos below were made in Tuscany and the south of Italy

LineDrawing: the male's wings in dorsal view.

Orthetrum brunneum (left) and O. coerulescens (right); forewing
Note: O. brunneum typically has 5-7 doubled cells between IR₃ and Rspl. O. coerulescens typically has none.

Orthetrum brunneum (left) and O. coerulescens (right); head, male
Note: in male O. brunneum the face is whitish pale blue. In male O. coerulescens it is beige-brown.

Four Orthetrum species; abdominal segment 8, female
Note the bulging lower edge of S8 in coerulescens (top left), brunneum (top right) and chrysostigma (bottom left), but not in nitidinerve (bottom right).