Bug Wiki
Bug Wiki / All bugs / Dragonflies and damselflies
Sticker of Black setwing
Bug card No. 0427 of 4,939

Black setwing

Dythemis nigrescens
Eats: Other bugs and small animalsDragonflies and damselfliesPonds, rivers and shores6 legs

The black setwing is a dragonfly from North and Central America. It belongs to the skimmers, a big family of dragonflies that zip low over the water. Like all dragonflies, it is a fast flier that catches insects in the air.

Lives in
North and Central America
Top speed
about 40 km/h (25 mph)
Flying, estimate
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
Harmless. Dragonflies have no sting.
What does it eat?
It catches other flying insects. Its babies live under water and hunt small water animals.
For real!Photo of Black setwing
Picture by Eric Haley. CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

How fast is it?

cool stuff

Fun facts

1

It is a skimmer, from the same big family as many of the dragonflies you see by ponds.

2

Scientists say it is of least concern, which means it is not in danger of dying out.

3

The number of black setwings stays steady. Scientists last checked this in 2017.

you asked

Most asked questions about Black setwing

?Is the black setwing dangerous?

No. Dragonflies have no sting and do not hurt people.

?Where does the black setwing live?

In North America and Central America.

For bug experts

Scientific name
Dythemis nigrescens
Group
Dragonflies and damselflies
Family
Libellulidae
Classification
Insecta > Odonata > Libellulidae
Lives on
North America

Where the facts come from

  1. Dythemis nigrescens (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 Eric Haley. CC BY 2.0, 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

Sunburst diving beetleBeetlesAustralasian giant water bugTrue bugs and cicadasShoreline wolf spiderSpidersNorthern bear spiderSpidersSalvinia stem borer mothMothsCommon sea skaterTrue bugs and cicadas
Honey jarfor grown-ups