Skimmers

Libellulidae

Skimmers are colorful dragonflies that love to fly over water. They have long bodies and wide wings, making them great at catching insects in the air.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Skimmers are medium-sized dragonflies, often with a stout body and large, prominent eyes. They display diverse colors, from reds and blues to browns and yellows, sometimes with patterned wings. Their broad, flattened abdomen often helps distinguish them from other dragonfly types.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassInsectaOrderOdonataFamilyLibellulidae

Skimmers

Interesting facts

A Skimmer can snatch a mosquito out of the air and eat it without even landing!

Skimmer babies, called nymphs, live underwater for up to five years before they can fly!

Skimmers are one of the fastest insects, able to fly at speeds up to 45 kilometers per hour!

Some Skimmers are expert long-distance travelers, migrating thousands of kilometers across oceans!

Special abilities

Skimmers have nearly 360-degree vision because their massive compound eyes help them spot prey and predators from almost any direction.

Skimmers can fly forwards, backwards, and hover in mid-air because their four independent wings allow for incredibly precise maneuverability.

Skimmers can quickly devour their prey because they possess strong, serrated mouthparts perfect for tearing up insects mid-flight.

Measurements & details

Wingspan: 40-110 mm
Size: 25-90 mm
Lifespan: 30-180 days
Flight Speed: 45 km/h
Leg Count: 6

Diet & Feeding

Skimmers are aerial predators, catching and eating other insects right out of the air!

Age differences: Nymphs hunt aquatic insects and tadpoles underwater, while adults hunt flying insects.

Primary Foods

mosquitoes
flies
midges
small butterflies

Foraging Method

Pursuit

Ecological connections

hunts

African malaria mosquito

Anopheles gambiae

Reduces mosquito populations, controlling disease.

eaten by

American Bullfrog

Rana catesbeiana

Larval skimmers are prey for larger aquatic predators.

eaten by

Osprey

Pandion haliaetus

Adult skimmers are sometimes caught by birds.

Traits

Solitary

Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.

Aerial

Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting.

Colorful

Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.

Insectivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.