David Element
Wildlife Photography and Digital
Video Images
_________________________________________________________Dragonflies
and Damselflies 63 – Keeled Skimmers
KEELED
SKIMMER DRAGONFLY Orthetrum coerulescens (m)
KEELED
SKIMMER DRAGONFLY Orthetrum coerulescens (m)
KEELED SKIMMER DRAGONFLY Orthetrum coerulescens (m)
KEELED
SKIMMER DRAGONFLY Orthetrum coerulescens (m)
KEELED
SKIMMER DRAGONFLY Orthetrum coerulescens (m, f)
KEELED SKIMMER DRAGONFLY Orthetrum coerulescens (m, f)
KEELED
SKIMMER DRAGONFLY Orthetrum coerulescens (m)
KEELED
SKIMMER DRAGONFLY Orthetrum coerulescens (m)
KEELED
SKIMMER DRAGONFLY Orthetrum coerulescens (m)
KEELED
SKIMMER DRAGONFLY Orthetrum coerulescens (m)
KEELED
SKIMMER DRAGONFLY Orthetrum coerulescens (m)
KEELED
SKIMMER DRAGONFLY Orthetrum coerulescens (m)
KEELED
SKIMMER DRAGONFLY Orthetrum coerulescens (m)
KEELED
SKIMMER DRAGONFLY Orthetrum coerulescens (f)
KEELED
SKIMMER DRAGONFLY Orthetrum coerulescens (m)
KEELED
SKIMMER DRAGONFLY Orthetrum coerulescens (m)
KEELED
SKIMMER DRAGONFLY Orthetrum coerulescens (m)
KEELED SKIMMER DRAGONFLY Orthetrum coerulescens (m)
·
The
Keeled Skimmer Dragonfly Orthetrum coerulescens favours habitats with flowing water,
often small streams, and in the UK, it is restricted to boggy and wet heathland
locations. Orthetrum dragonflies lack any dark
patches at the bases of their wings, so this distinguishes them from the Chasers
belonging to the genus Libellula. The Keeled Skimmer is most
likely to be confused with the larger Black-tailed Skimmer O. cancellatum in the UK. Note the two conspicuous pale
stripes on the thorax shown in some of the photographs. These are retained by
British members of this species, but they are usually hidden by blue, waxy pruinescence in older Continental males. Most of these
images were obtained in continental Europe (France, Italy, and Portugal). On
the Continent there are several other potential confusion species in which
males develop pruinescence, including the Southern
Skimmer O. brunneum. The males of O. brunneum develop blue pruinescence
on their thoraxes as well as their abdomens, but Continental Keeled Skimmers
also do this, adding an additional complication to their identification once
the thoracic stripes have become obscured. Reference to field guides may be
required if looking at any mixed population of Orthetrum
and Libellula species in Europe. Eye colour, face colour,
pterostigma colour and shape, type of habitat, and known geographical range are
all of relevance as field characteristics. The morphological features are
usually visible in photographs. In addition, tenerals
(immature adults) of all the above species are predominantly yellow with black
markings (the colours change with maturation), and females are often more
difficult to locate and identify than males.
·
This
interesting publication expands on the fascinating subjects of dragonfly
coloration and pruinescence: https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jzo.12963
.
-> Dragonflies and
Damselflies 1, 2,
3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
8,
9, 10, 11,
12,
13,
14,
15,
16,
17,
18,
19,
20,
21,
22,
23,
24,
25,
26, 27,
28,
29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63,
64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72
-> Species
Index, Common Names
-> Species
Index, Scientific Names
-> Site Index
-> Home