Keeled Skimmer
| Keeled skimmer | |
|---|---|
_male.jpg) |
|
| Male | |
_female.jpg) |
|
| Female both at Crockford Stream, Hampshire |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Odonata |
| Suborder: | Anisoptera |
| Family: | Libellulidae |
| Genus: | Orthetrum |
| Species: | O. coerulescens |
| Binomial name | |
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Orthetrum coerulescens (Fabricius, 1798) |
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The keeled skimmer, Orthetrum coerulescens, is a species of European dragonfly. This species resembles the black-tailed skimmer but is slimmer and the male has no black tip. Females and immature males lack the black abdominal pattern. The pterostigma is orange and the thorax usually bears pale stripes. It breeds mainly in peat bogs and flies (in the UK) from June to September.
mating pair
Schwarzbach, Wöllnau, Saxony, Germany
female
Cerreto Ratti, Alessandria, Italy
mature female
Crockford Stream, Hampshire, England
This dragonfly is common in central and southern Europe. It is locally common in western Britain and Ireland. Its typical habitat is acidic heath land, where it is often seen alongside golden-ringed dragonflies. Its flight is quite skittish, with frequent hovering, and it lands often. It can fly quite a distance from water, despite its seemingly weak flight. When it perches, the wings are held forward.
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Wikipedia