Bug FAQBlack-tailed Skimmer
Orthetrum cancellatum · Order: Odonata · Family: Libellulidae
Also called: Black-lined Skimmer
Adults are 47 to 53 mm long with a wingspan around 77 mm and hindwings 35 to 40 mm long. Males show a blue-grey sheen that darkens with age and lack auricles on abdominal segment 2, having a single inferior anal appendage.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Male bodies have a bluish or blue-grey patina that gets darker as they age. The male abdomen lacks auricles on segment 2 and has one inferior anal appendage.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The average wingspan is roughly 77 mm and hindwings measure 35 to 40 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They occur at open water sites with bare shore patches where males often rest in the sun. Preferred habitats are lakes, slow rivers, ponds and sometimes marshy areas that lack dense riparian vegetation.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults fly swiftly and low, skimming the water surface. Larvae live among bottom debris rich in vegetation and decaying plant material.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Larvae develop for two to three years before emerging as adults.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The main flight period is in June and July.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is widespread across Europe and Asia.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It can be confused with the Keeled skimmer or the Scarce chaser.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
When are Black-tailed Skimmers most active?
They are mainly on the wing in June and July.
Source: Wikipedia
What size are these dragonflies?
Adults are about 47 to 53 mm long with a wingspan near 77 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find them?
Look for them at open water with bare shore patches and in lakes, slow rivers, ponds or marshy areas without dense vegetation.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I tell a male Black-tailed Skimmer from similar species?
Males have a blue-grey patina that darkens with age and lack auricles on abdominal segment 2, showing a single inferior anal appendage.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Libellulidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-tailed_skimmer
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.