Orthetrum brunneum

Orthetrum brunneum, the southern skimmer, is a species of 'skimmers' belonging to the family Libellulidae. [1]

Orthetrum brunneum
Male
Female
both in Bulgaria
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Odonata
Family:
Libellulidae
Genus:
Orthetrum
Species:
O. brunneum
Binomial name
Orthetrum brunneum
(Fonscolombe, 1837)
Synonyms
  • Libellula brunnea Fonscolombe, 1837

Subspecies

Subspecies include: [2]

  • Orthetrum brunneum var. brunneum (Fonscolombe, 1837) (Palearctic ecozone)
  • Orthetrum brunneum var. cycnos (Sélys, 1848) (Corsica and Sardinia) [3]

Distribution

This 'skimmer' is present in most of Europe [4] and the range extends to Mongolia and North Africa. [5]

It occurs in Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Republic of Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Portuga, Romania, Russia, Serbia; Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine. [5]

Habitat

This species mainly prefers small streams, canals and ditches, with shallow, fast warming water. [5]

Description

The adults grow up to 40–45 millimetres (1.6–1.8 in) long. [6] Their dimensions on average are larger than in Orthetrum coerulescens.

The thorax and the abdomen are pale blue in males, yellowish-brown or greyish-brown in females. Young males are brownish. The abdomen is relatively flattened and shows a thin middorsal black line and distinct points on each segment. The wings are hyaline, with yellow or pale brown pterostigma. [6] The wingspan reaches 66–70 millimetres (2.6–2.8 in).

Biology and behavior

Adults can be encountered from mid June through late August in the immediate vicinity of quiet rivers or close to stagnant and shallow waters, lying on a well sunny ground. Sexually mature males defend a 'territory' on the waterfront by making short inspection flights, in order to chase away other males.

These skimmers commonly mate at rest, usually on the ground. Female lays the eggs on the surface of shallow water, touching it only with her abdomen while flying, sometimes accompanied by the male, that keeps other males at a distance.

The larvae are ferocious predators. They live buried in fine soil material (fine sand, silt, etc.), in unshaded places in shallow water. They overwinter and develop in two or three years. [7]

  • Mating wheel
  • Male lying on a sunny ground
  • Female, dorsal view
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References
  1. Bisby F.A., Roskov Y.R., Orrell T.M., Nicolson D., Paglinawan L.E., Bailly N., Kirk P.M., Bourgoin T., Baillargeon G., Ouvrard D. Catalogue of life
  2. BioLib
  3. Henrik Steinmann: World Catalogue of Odonata. Volume II: Anisoptera. de Gruyter, 1997, ISBN 3-11-014934-6, S. 412.
  4. Fauna europaea
  5. IUCN
  6. Aramel.free
  7. Animalandia
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