Plastic Wings - _TNY_1559
The black-tailed skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum), like this female, prefer to breed and lay eggs in larger lakes. They are often quick to colonize new waters, but will abandon them if they begin to have more vegetation.
The adults can however often bee seen a considerable distance from open water. If you spot a dragonfly sitting on the ground in a field or road in southern or central Sweden, there is a good chance it is a black-tailed skimmer.
The larvae will live for two years under water before climbing out to become an adult.
Looking at this specimen, it has the super-shiny, almost plasticky wings of one which has just crawled out of the water and is waiting for the wings to harden - but this was taken quite far from water so I don't understand from where it emerged.
For a photo of the male which looks a bit differently, have a look here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/51405387720/
Plastic Wings - _TNY_1559
The black-tailed skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum), like this female, prefer to breed and lay eggs in larger lakes. They are often quick to colonize new waters, but will abandon them if they begin to have more vegetation.
The adults can however often bee seen a considerable distance from open water. If you spot a dragonfly sitting on the ground in a field or road in southern or central Sweden, there is a good chance it is a black-tailed skimmer.
The larvae will live for two years under water before climbing out to become an adult.
Looking at this specimen, it has the super-shiny, almost plasticky wings of one which has just crawled out of the water and is waiting for the wings to harden - but this was taken quite far from water so I don't understand from where it emerged.
For a photo of the male which looks a bit differently, have a look here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/51405387720/