Banded Skimmer

Orthetrum brachiale · Order: Odonata · Family: Libellulidae

Also called: Strong Skimmer

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
Banded Skimmer
Photo: i_c_riddell, CC BY

The tough skimmer, Orthetrum brachiale, is a dragonfly in the Libellulidae family. It lives in many wet and savanna habitats such as forests, swamps, marshes and lakes. Its range includes many African countries, as well as islands like Madagascar, Mauritius and the Seychelles.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

Orthetrum brachiale is known as the tough skimmer or strong skimmer.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

It is found in moist lowland forests, dry and moist savannas, shrublands, wetlands, swamps, and both permanent and temporary freshwater marshes.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it comes from

It occurs across a wide part of Africa, including Angola, Kenya, South Africa and many other nations, and on islands such as Madagascar and the Seychelles.

Source: Wikipedia

More photos

Banded Skimmer photo 3
Photo: i_c_riddell, CC BY
Banded Skimmer photo 4
Photo: 116916927065934112165, CC BY

Same family (Libellulidae)

Blue DasherBlue DasherPachydiplax longipennisEastern PondhawkEastern PondhawkErythemis simplicicollisCommon WhitetailCommon WhitetailPlathemis lydiaWidow SkimmerWidow SkimmerLibellula luctuosaAutumn MeadowhawkAutumn MeadowhawkSympetrum vicinumCommon DarterCommon DarterSympetrum striolatum

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthetrum_brachiale

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.

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