Orthetrum sabina
• English name: Slender Skimmer
• German name: Schlanker Blaupfeil
• French name: N/A
• Dutch name: Slanke oeverlibel
• 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 sabina
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, elongated species which in Europe occurs only on some Greek islands (e.g. Rhodes, Samos and Kos) and on Cyprus | |
| Classification | • suborder: Anisoptera (dragonflies); family: Libellulidae | |
| Conservation status | • IUCN Red List Europe: Least Concern | |
| Scientific name | • Orthetrum sabina (Drury, 1773) | |
| 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 | • sabina: from Lat. Sabina = a Sabine woman (the Sabines were a people neighbouring the newly-founded city of Rome in Roman legend) | |
| Distribution | • click or tap the Map button above | |
| Habitat | • lakes, ponds and slow-flowing rivers | |
| Dimensions | • typical body length: 43-50 mm; hindwing: 28-33 mm | |
| Notes | • libellulids are 'sitters': males spend a lot of time perched at the water's edge, waiting for females | |
| • a restless, swift and fidgety species | ||
| Both sexes | Head | • the eyes are green-brown |
| Thorax | • the thorax is brown with a yellow antehumeral stripe and a yellow band on the side | |
| Abdomen | • the abdomen is long and slender | |
| ➤ S1-S3 are noticeably bulbous in shape | ||
| • S4-S7 are white with extensive black markings; S8-S10 are entirely black | ||
| • the appendages are white | ||
| Photographs | • all of our photos below were made on Cyprus and in Turkey |
Orthetrum sabina; abdomen
Note the bulbous shape of S1-S3 in both the male (left) and female (right).
