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Sticker of Epaulet skimmer
Bug card No. 1562 of 4,939

Epaulet skimmer

Orthetrum chrysostigma
Eats: Other bugs and small animalsDragonflies and damselfliesPonds, rivers and shores6 legs

The epaulet skimmer is a dragonfly found almost all over Africa. The grown-up boys have a blue body, while the girls and young ones are yellow and brown. It is a fast flier that catches other insects in the air.

Lives in
Most of Africa, Israel, the Canary Islands and Portugal, near rivers, lakes and marshes
Top speed
about 40 km/h (25 mph)
Flying, estimate
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
Harmless. Dragonflies do not sting people.
What does it eat?
It catches flying insects in the air. Its babies grow up in the water and hunt there.
For real!Photo of Epaulet skimmer
Picture by Jörg Hempel. CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.

How fast is it?

cool stuff

Fun facts

1

It lives in many places: rivers, lakes, swamps, springs and even dry savanna.

2

It is found in more than 35 countries in Africa.

3

In 2010 it was seen on the islands of Malta for the first time.

you asked

Most asked questions about Epaulet skimmer

?Is the epaulet skimmer dangerous?

No. Dragonflies cannot sting and are harmless to people.

?What does the epaulet skimmer eat?

It catches other flying insects.

For bug experts

Scientific name
Orthetrum chrysostigma
Group
Dragonflies and damselflies
Family
Libellulidae
Classification
Insecta > Odonata > Libellulidae
Lives on
Africa, Asia, Europe

Where the facts come from

  1. Orthetrum chrysostigma (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 Jörg Hempel. CC BY-SA 3.0 de, 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.

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