Bug Wiki
Bug Wiki / All bugs / Dragonflies and damselflies
Sticker of Carmine skimmer
Bug card No. 0798 of 4,939

Carmine skimmer

Orthemis discolor
Eats: Other bugs and small animalsDragonflies and damselfliesPonds, rivers and shores6 legs

The carmine skimmer is a dragonfly with a bright red or orange body. It belongs to the skimmers, dragonflies that like to rest on a twig near the water and dash out to catch insects. Its other name is the orange-bellied skimmer.

Lives in
The warm parts of the Americas, near ponds and slow water
Top speed
about 40 km/h (25 mph)
Flying, estimate
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
Harmless. Dragonflies do not sting.
What does it eat?
Like all dragonflies, it catches small flying insects. Its young live in water and hunt there.
For real!Photo of Carmine skimmer
Picture by Charles J. Sharp. CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

How fast is it?

cool stuff

Fun facts

1

It belongs to the skimmers, one of the biggest dragonfly families.

2

Like every dragonfly, it starts its life under water as a nymph.

3

Scientists checked in 2017 and found that it is not in danger and its numbers are steady.

you asked

Most asked questions about Carmine skimmer

?Can the carmine skimmer sting?

No. Dragonflies have no stinger and are harmless to people.

?Is the carmine skimmer rare?

No. Its numbers are steady and it is not in danger.

For bug experts

Scientific name
Orthemis discolor
Group
Dragonflies and damselflies
Family
Libellulidae
Classification
Insecta > Odonata > Libellulidae
Lives on
North America, South America
Also known as
Orange-bellied skimmer

Where the facts come from

  1. Orthemis discolor (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
  2. Picture by Charles J. Sharp. CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.

If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

Bug Wiki honey jar For grown-ups: Bug Wiki is free, with no ads and no tracking. A small tip helps keep it online.Leave a tip

More from the same group: Dragonflies and damselflies

Emperor dragonflyDragonflies and damselfliesCommon whitetailDragonflies and damselfliesGreen darnerDragonflies and damselfliesEbony jewelwingDragonflies and damselfliesGlobe skimmerDragonflies and damselfliesBlue dasherDragonflies and damselflies

Also at home here: Ponds, rivers and shores

Bladder snailSnails, slugs and wormsNorth American medicinal leechSnails, slugs and wormsSaltpool mosquitoFlies and mosquitoesChanneled apple snailSnails, slugs and wormsBridge spiderSpidersWaterfall centipedeCentipedes and millipedes
Honey jarfor grown-ups