Stats

Lifespan

1-3 yrs

Size

Medium

Diet

Insectivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

Solitary

Biome

Freshwater wetland

Range

Eurasia

Movement

Flight

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Flight

Status

Uncommon

About

The White-tailed Skimmer is a dragonfly found from central and southern Europe through to China and Japan, with mature males developing a distinctive powdery white-blue abdomen tipped in black. It has been steadily expanding its range northward, recently reaching Poland's Baltic coast.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   egg

   A small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   An immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
3. 3.
   subadult

   A near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
4. 4.
   adult

   Fully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Odonata

Family

Libellulidae

Genus

Orthetrum

Species

Orthetrum albistylum