Home › Species › Orthetrum caledonicum (Blue Skimmer)

Orthetrum caledonicum (Blue Skimmer)

This species occurs in every state/territory of Australia, including Tasmania – there isn’t the slightest gap on its distribution map. It is also recorded in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

In the abdomen this species looks very like our European O. cancellatum (Black-tailed Skimmer). However the pterostigmas of O. caledonicum are yellow (as opposed to the black of O. cancellatum) and there is a noticeable bronze tint to the distal [outboard] section of the wings.

We found our first around the Beechworth area, Victoria, both beside the waterfalls of the Beechworth Historic Park (Spring Creek) and at Lake Sambell in Beechworth itself. During my 2-week trip around southeast Queensland in 2019, I encountered it many times and saw females for the first time. I snagged more during my FNQ 2022 trip.

male
J17_3249 Orthetrum caledonicum male J17_3254 Orthetrum caledonicum male J17_3469 Orthetrum caledonicum male
J19_1536 Orthetrum caledonicum male J19_3407 Orthetrum caledonicum male J19_3250 Orthetrum caledonicum male
J19_3190 Orthetrum caledonicum male J19_2803 Orthetrum caledonicum male J19_2681 Orthetrum caledonicum male
J19_2649 Orthetrum caledonicum male J19_1529 Orthetrum caledonicum male J19_1525 Orthetrum caledonicum male
Orthetrum caledonicum male-3 Orthetrum caledonicum male-4 Orthetrum caledonicum male-5
female
J19_3524 Orthetrum caledonicum female J19_3527 Orthetrum caledonicum female Orthetrum caledonicum female-3
ovipositing
J19_2019 Orthetrum caledonicum female