R. baetica
         M. religiosa
         M. florea
         Tephritid fly
         X. violacea
         Bombus sp.
         C. virgo
         P. pennipes
         O. brunneum
         T. plebejus

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Unless otherwise noted, all pictures on this site were taken in Pelion, Greece, shown on the map below.

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View images of the Common Toad, an ugly, bulky, but really sweet creature with an interesting... nightlife.

  Veggie of the Month

Learn about the Salsify, a beautiful plant, with edible and medicinal properties, that is currently blooming in Pelion.

  Cool Destination

Visit Mourtias, one of Pelion's most picturesque beaches on the Aegean coast.

  Exciting Site

Tour the Volos Archaeological Museum, a pretty century-old building, whose exhibits span a historical period of over 10 millennia!

  Month's Wallpaper

Download a fantastic picture of a rickety jetty in Lefokastron, Pelion, taken by Huw Jones.

Loading image. Please wait O. brunneum, Male :: 2003/06/21 :: Horton :: © A.Papadopoulos O. brunneum, Male :: 2003/06/21 :: Horton :: © A.Papadopoulos O. brunneum, Male :: 2003/06/21 :: Horton :: © A.Papadopoulos O. brunneum, Female :: 2003/06/21 :: Horton :: © A.Papadopoulos O. brunneum, Female :: 2003/06/21 :: Horton :: © A.Papadopoulos O. brunneum, Female :: 2003/06/21 :: Horton :: © A.Papadopoulos

Southern Skimmer

Orthetrum brunneum

I had originally thought that the depicted dragonflies were Keeled Skimmers, Orthetrum coerulescens, but I wasn't sure... I, therefore, decided to resort to the expert help of Prof. Nico de With, a biologist with a special interest in Lepidoptera and Odonata, whom I had the great pleasure of meeting during his trip to Pelion, in September 2001. So, I forwarded my photographs to Nico, asking him for his assistance. As usual, his guidance was invaluable. This is what he wrote:

"The dragonflies you showed me, are two males and two females of Orthetrum brunneum. O. coerulescens does not occur in Greece according to my books (see the attachement). The wing  venation is conclusive - this characteristic is very well visible in one of the males. Another criterion is the number of cells below the  pterostigma in the forewing: 2-2.5 in O. brunneum, 2.8-3 in O. coerulescens. Unfortunately, this area is not sharp in any of the photos."

The Southern Skimmer,O. brunneum, is a rather small dragonfly, with an abdomen length between 29 and 31 mm (1 1/10 - 1 1/4 in), which resembles other skimmers in both habits and general appearance.

Females (images no. 3, 4 and 5) are brownish-orange. Males (images no. 1 and 2) are powdery-blue in color and are relatively torpid, often settling on the ground or on low plants and making brief sorties to feed or investigate activity. They are quite easy to approach and, if disturbed, they will frequently return to their original spot, after a short flight.

According to the map above, the Southern Skimmer is a warmth-loving species, found throughout central and southern Europe, N. Africa and Asia Minor. It is on the wing between May and September, feeding on small to medium insects, which it catches in flight. Its normal habitat is still or slow flowing water, with bare ground nearby.

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Fact Sheet

Food
Small and medium insects, caught in flight.

Flight Period
May - September.

Habitat
Still or slow flowing water, with bare ground nearby.

Distribution
Central and Southern Europe, North Africa and Asia Minor.


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Taxonomy


Superkingdom: Eukaryota; Kingdom: Metazoa; Phylum: Arthropoda; Subphylum: Chelicerata; Superclass: Hexapoda; Class: Insecta; Subclass: Palaeoptera; Order: Odonata; Suborder: Anisoptera; Superfamily: Cavilabiata; Family: Libellulidae; Genus: Orthetrum; Species: brunneum.

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Acknowledgments


I would like to thank Prof. Nico de With from the Netherlands, for helping me identify this species.

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