Orthetrum

Orthetrum is a large genus of dragonflies in the Libellulidae family.^[2] They are commonly referred to as skimmers.

Skimmers
Female Orthetrum chrysostigma
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Odonata
Infraorder:	Anisoptera
Family:	Libellulidae
Subfamily:	Libellulinae
Genus:	Orthetrum Newman, 1833[1]

The size of adults within the genus ranges from small to large; in Africa, the hindwing ranges in length from 22 to 50 mm. The bodies of adult females and recently emerged males are yellow to brown with black markings; these may facilitate identification of individuals to species level. Mature males, however, develop blue-grey pruinosity over most of their bodies - this makes species identification difficult without the capture of a specimen and inspection of the shape of the hamule.^[3]

Species

The genus Orthetrum includes the following species:^[4]

Scientific name[a]	Common name	IUCN Red List Status	Distribution	Picture (Male)	Picture (Female)
Orthetrum abbotti Calvert, 1892	Abbott's skimmer	LC IUCN	Sub-Saharan Africa, Jordan and Yemen.[5]
Orthetrum africanum (Selys, 1887)		LC IUCN	Central and Western Africa[6]
Orthetrum albistylum Selys, 1848	White-tailed skimmer[7]	LC IUCN	Europe to China and Japan[8]
Orthetrum anceps (Schneider, 1845)		LC [9]	Europe, India, and northern Africa[10]
Orthetrum angustiventre (Rambur, 1842)	Many-celled skimmer[11]	LC IUCN	Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and possibly Tanzania.
Orthetrum austeni (Kirby, 1900)	Giant skimmer	LC IUCN[12]	Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia.
Orthetrum austrosundanum Lieftinck, 1953		VU[13]
Orthetrum azureum (Rambur, 1842)		LC	Madagascar
Orthetrum balteatum Lieftinck, 1933	Speckled skimmer[14]	NT IUCN[15]
Orthetrum borneense Kimmins, 1936		DD IUCN
Orthetrum boumiera Watson & Arthington, 1978	Brownwater skimmer	NT IUCN[16]
Orthetrum brachiale (Palisot de Beauvois, 1805)	Tough skimmer	LC IUCN[17]	Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Réunion, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, possibly Burundi, and possibly São Tomé and Príncipe
Orthetrum brunneum (Fonscolombe, 1837)	Southern skimmer	LC IUCN	Europe[18] and the range extends to Mongolia and North Africa.
Orthetrum caffrum (Burmeister, 1839)	Two-striped skimmer, white-lined skimmer	LC IUCN[19]	Angola, Cameroon, Chad, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, possibly Burundi, and possibly Gambia
Orthetrum caledonicum (Brauer, 1865)	Blue skimmer	LC[20]
Orthetrum cancellatum (Linnaeus, 1758)	Black-tailed skimmer	LC[21]	Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France (Corsica, and mainland), Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey (Turkey-in-Europe), Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and in part of United Kingdom
Orthetrum capense Calvert, 1893		LC
Orthetrum chrysis (Selys, 1891)		LC
Orthetrum chrysostigma (Burmeister, 1839)	Epaulet skimmer	LC	Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Orthetrum coerulescens (Fabricius, 1798)	Keeled skimmer	LC	Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Finland; France; Georgia; Greece; Hungary; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Ireland; Italy; Lebanon; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Montenegro; Morocco; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Russian Federation; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Syrian Arab Republic; Tunisia; Turkey; Ukraine; United Kingdom.
Orthetrum glaucum (Brauer, 1865)	Blue marsh hawk	LC IUCN[22]	tropical and subtropical Asia
Orthetrum guineense Ris, 1909	Guinea skimmer	LC IUCN[23]	Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and possibly Burundi
Orthetrum guptai Baijal, 1955		LC
Orthetrum helena Buchholz, 1954		LC
Orthetrum hintzi Schmidt, 1951	Hintz's skimmer	LC IUCN[24]	Angola, Benin, Botswana, Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and possibly Burundi
Orthetrum icteromelas Ris, 1910	Spectacled skimmer	LC IUCN[25]	Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and possibly Burundi
Orthetrum japonicum (Uhler, 1858)	Taiwan-shioya-tombo	LC[26]
Orthetrum julia Kirby, 1900	Julia skimmer	LC IUCN[27]	Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, possibly Burundi, and possibly Madagascar
Orthetrum kollmannspergeri Buchholz, 1959		LC IUCN
Orthetrum kristenseni Ris, 1911		LC IUCN	Ethiopia
Orthetrum latihami Pinhey, 1966		LC IUCN	Central Africa
Orthetrum lemur Ris, 1909		LC IUCN
Orthetrum lineostigma (Selys, 1886)		LC IUCN
Orthetrum luzonicum (Brauer, 1868)		LC IUCN
Orthetrum machadoi Longfield, 1955	Machado's skimmer	LC IUCN[28]	Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and possibly Burundi
Orthetrum macrostigma Longfield, 1947		LC	Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, and possibly Zambia
Orthetrum malgassicum Pinhey, 1970		LC
Orthetrum martensi Asahina, 1978		LC
Orthetrum melania (Selys, 1883)		LC
Orthetrum microstigma Ris, 1911		LC	Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia
Orthetrum migratum Lieftinck, 1951	Rosy skimmer	LC IUCN[29]
Orthetrum monardi Schmidt, 1951		LC	Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia
Orthetrum nitidinerve (Selys, 1841)	Yellow-veined skimmer	LC
Orthetrum poecilops Ris, 1916	Mangrove skimmer	VU[30]
Orthetrum pruinosum (Burmeister, 1839)	Crimson-tailed marsh hawk	LC[31]
Orthetrum ransonnetii (Brauer, 1865)	Desert skimmer	LC	Western Sahara, Sudan, Niger, Chad, Algeria, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Oman, United Arab Emirates
Orthetrum robustum Balinsky, 1965	Robust skimmer	LC[32]
Orthetrum rubens Barnard, 1937	Elusive skimmer	CR IUCN[33]	South Africa
Orthetrum sabina (Drury, 1770)	Slender skimmer	LC
Orthetrum saegeri Pinhey, 1966		LC	Cameroon, Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gambia, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia
Orthetrum sagitta Ris, 1915	Arrow skimmer	LC[34]	Sierra Leone
Orthetrum serapia Watson, 1984	Green skimmer	LC
Orthetrum signiferum Lieftinck, 1926		LC
Orthetrum silvarum Lieftinck, 1934		LC
Orthetrum stemmale (Burmeister, 1839)	Stemmale skimmer	LC IUCN[35]	Angola, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and possibly Burundi
Orthetrum taeniolatum (Schneider, 1845)	Small skimmer	LC[36]
Orthetrum testaceum (Burmeister, 1839)		LC	India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.[37]
Orthetrum translatum Bartenev, 1929		LC
Orthetrum triangulare (Selys, 1878)	Blue-tailed forest hawk[38]	LC[39]
Orthetrum trinacria (Selys, 1841)	Long skimmer	LC	Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ethiopia, France (Corsica), Gambia, Ghana, Italy (Sicily and Sardinia), Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and possibly Burundi
Orthetrum villosovittatum (Brauer, 1868)	Fiery skimmer	LC[40]

Notes

1. A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Orthetrum.

References

1. Newman, Edward (1833). "Entomological notes". Entomological Magazine. 1. London: 505–514 [511] – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
2. "Genus Orthetrum Newman, 1833". Australian Faunal Directory. Australian Biological Resources Study. 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
3. Dijkstra, K.-D. B. "ADDO -- African Dragonflies and Damselflies Online". www.zoology.uct.ac.za. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
4. Martin Schorr; Martin Lindeboom; Dennis Paulson. "World Odonata List". University of Puget Sound. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
5. Katbeh-Bader, Ahmad; Amr Zuhair, S.; Abu Baker, Mohammad; Mahasneh, Ahmad. "The dragonflies (Insecta: Odonata) of Jordan" (PDF). Denisia. 14: 309–317.
6. Clausnitzer, V. & Dijkstra, K.-D.B. (2010). "Orthetrum africanum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T184246A8252508. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T184246A8252508.en. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
7. "Checklist, English common names". DragonflyPix.com. Archived from the original on 4 December 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
8. Clausnitzer, V. (2020). "Orthetrum albistylum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T158689A140578608. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T158689A140578608.en. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
9. Boudot, J.-P.; Schneider, W. & Samraoui, B. (2013). "Orthetrum coerulescens ssp. anceps". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T13186368A13186370. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T13186368A13186370.en. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
10. Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
11. Clausnitzer, V.; Dijkstra, K.-D.B. & Suhling, F. (2010). "Orthetrum angustiventre". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T59949A12179210. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T59949A12179210.en. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
12. Clausnitzer, V.; Dijkstra, K.-D.B. & Suhling, F. (2009). "Orthetrum austeni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2011.{{cite iucn}}: old-form url (help)
13. Dow, R.A.; Rachman, H.T & Kamaludin, N. (2021). "Orthetrum austrosundanum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T139408998A139429993. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T139408998A139429993.en. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
14. Theischinger, G.; Hawking, J. (2006). The Complete Field Guide to Dragonflies of Australia. CSIRO Publishing. ISBN 0-643-09073-8.
15. Dow, R.A. (2017). "Orthetrum balteatum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T163903A87528450. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T163903A87528450.en. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
16. Dow, R.A. (2017). "Orthetrum boumiera". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T87535148A87540029. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T87535148A87540029.en.
17. Clausnitzer, V. & Dijkstra, K.-D.B. (2009). "Orthetrum brachiale". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2011.{{cite iucn}}: old-form url (help)
18. "Orthetrum brunneum (Fonscolombe, 1837) | Fauna Europaea". Fauna-eu.org. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
19. Suhling, F. & Clausnitzer, V. (2008). "Orthetrum caffrum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008. Retrieved 27 September 2011.{{cite iucn}}: old-form url (help)
20. Dow, R.A. (2017). "Orthetrum caledonicum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T83369732A83383908. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T83369732A83383908.en. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
21. Mitra, A. (2020). "Orthetrum cancellatum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T165521A140593008. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T165521A140593008.en. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
22. Dow, R.A. (2009). "Orthetrum glaucum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2009: e.T163780A5650496. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009-2.RLTS.T163780A5650496.en.
23. Clausnitzer, V.; Dijkstra, K.-D.B. & Suhling, F. (2009). "Orthetrum guineense". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2011.{{cite iucn}}: old-form url (help)
24. Clausnitzer, V.; Dijkstra, K.-D.B. & Suhling, F. (2009). "Orthetrum hintzi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2011.{{cite iucn}}: old-form url (help)
25. Clausnitzer, V.; Dijkstra, K.-D.B. & Suhling, F. (2009). "Orthetrum icteromelas". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2011.{{cite iucn}}: old-form url (help)
26. Subramanian, K.A (2010). "Orthetrum japonicum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T167357A6333755. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T167357A6333755.en. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
27. Clausnitzer, V.; Dijkstra, K.-D.B. & Suhling, F. (2009). "Orthetrum julia". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2011.{{cite iucn}}: old-form url (help)
28. Clausnitzer, V.; Dijkstra, K.-D.B. & Suhling, F. (2009). "Orthetrum machadoi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2011.{{cite iucn}}: old-form url (help)
29. Hawking, J. (2009). "Orthetrum migratum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2009: e.T163524A5611321. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009-2.RLTS.T163524A5611321.en. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
30. Wilson, K. D. P. (2009). "Orthetrum poecilops". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2009: e.T60302A12340184. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009-2.RLTS.T60302A12340184.en. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
31. Sharma, G. (2010). "Orthetrum pruinosum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T167097A6301540. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T167097A6301540.en.
32. Suhling, F. (2010). "Orthetrum robustum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T63204A12629389. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T63204A12629389.en. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
33. Samways, M.J. (2007). "Orthetrum rubens". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2007. Retrieved 27 September 2011.{{cite iucn}}: old-form url (help)
34. Clausnitzer, V. & Dijkstra, K.-D.B. (2010). "Orthetrum sagitta". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T169242A6596337. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T169242A6596337.en. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
35. Clausnitzer, V.; Dijkstra, K.-D.B. & Suhling, F. (2009). "Orthetrum stemmale". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2011.{{cite iucn}}: old-form url (help)
36. Mitra, A. (2013). "Orthetrum taeniolatum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T165506A17533964. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T165506A17533964.en. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
37. Wilson, K.D.P. (2011). "Orthetrum testaceum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2011: e.T167384A6339264. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-1.RLTS.T167384A6339264.en. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
38. Subramanian, K. A. (2005). Dragonflies and Damselflies of Peninsular India (PDF).
39. Dow, R.A. (2010). "Orthetrum triangulare". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T167098A6301833. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T167098A6301833.en. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
40. Dow, R.A. (2017). "Orthetrum villosovittatum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T83369839A83383913. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T83369839A83383913.en. Retrieved 17 December 2017.

External links

Media related to Orthetrum at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Orthetrum at Wikispecies