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
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.
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).
Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma)
Male abdomen in dorsal view
Drawing by Ruth Ilka Nüß
© 2013 Lehmann & Nüß and DragonflyPix.com
Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma)
Female wings in dorsal view
Drawing by Ruth Ilka Nüß
© 2013 Lehmann & Nüß and DragonflyPix.com
Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma)
Female abdomen in dorsal view
Drawing by Ruth Ilka Nüß
© 2013 Lehmann & Nüß and DragonflyPix.com
Epaulet Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysostigma)
Female head, thorax and abdomen in lateral view
Drawing by Ruth Ilka Nüß
© 2013 Lehmann & Nüß and DragonflyPix.com
