Dark-shouldered Skimmer  Orthetrum hintzi  Donkerskofskepper

100 2087 Ezemvelo GP RSA Jan 2016r 1Old Male
100 2093 Male Ezemvelo GP RSA Dec 2015r 5Male
100 2102 Orthetrum hintzi Dark shouldered Skimmer Fresch Male Ezemvelo GP RSA Sept 2017r 2Old Female
Short Description:

Dark-shouldered Skimmer, Orthetrum hintzi, is medium sized, fairly slender woth disting dark shoulder stripes3 All pruinescent blue when mature.

Family Libellulidae,

More Images:
100 2089 Orthetrum hintzi Dark shouldered Skimmer Old Male1 Ezemvelo GP RSA Jan 2016r 3Image Gallery





1 4447 Orthetrum hintzi lM C Wilge Jan 2025r 2Male
100 2103 Orthetrum hintzi Dark shouldered Skimmer Male Close up Ezemvelo Dec 2016r 2Male
1 4111 Orthetrum hintzi Dark shouldered Skimmer Female Close up Hertzogberg MP RSA OCT 2020r 5Female
1 4434 Orthetrum hintzi Dark shouldered Skimmer F1 O Ezem Jan 2025r 4Female
100 2109 Orthetrum hintzi Dark shouldered Skimmer Female Close up Ezemvelo Dec 2016r 2Female

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Key identification features:

Male:

  • Length 35 - 38 - 43mm,  wingspan 53 - 57 - 64 mm,  Pterostigmas 3.2 - 3.3mm
  • Male pruinose to grey when old. Identification can mostly be done via the yellow costa- and Ax veins. When the face is visible the frons is ringed by a black marking1 4452 Orthetrum hintzi lM C Wilge Jan 2025r 11
  • Face greyish. Labrum greyish cream with median dark brown band. 1 4453 Orthetrum hintzi lM C Wilge Jan 2025r 14Anteclypeus, postclypeus and side of frons light grayish cream. Frons not spectacled, bluish grey in front, black when viewed from above. Head shiny black and dimpled above with very low peaks.1 4451 Orthetrum hintzi lM C Wilge Jan 2025r 13
  • When young the male closely resembles the female
  • Eyes dull turquoise, grayish below.1 4453 Orthetrum hintzi lM C Wilge Jan 2025r 14
  • Thorax is all pruinescent blue, 100 2103 Orthetrum hintzi Dark shouldered Skimmer Male Close up Ezemvelo Dec 2016r 2slightly darker above when mature. 1 4448 Orthetrum hintzi lM C Wilge Jan 2025r 4When young the thorax is yellow with thin brown stripe  The dark shoulder stripe is diagnostic The thorax will darken in a blotchy pattern till all dark before pruinose to all pale grey. 100 2103 Orthetrum hintzi Dark shouldered Skimmer Male Close up Ezemvelo Dec 2016r 2
  • Wings clear to slightly smoky. 100 2107 Orthetrum hintzi Dark shouldered Skimmer Male Close up Ezemvelo Dec 2016r 18Subcostal Ax veins mostly pale. Yellow Costa veins. More noticeable between the nodus and the pterostigmas. 1 4460 Orthetrum hintzi lM C Wilge Jan 2025r 28 Double cells in the RSPL loop may be from 0 to 14 in all wings combined.
  • Pterostigmas very large, narrow, yellowish brown.1 4460 Orthetrum hintzi lM C Wilge Jan 2025r 28
  • Abdomen narrow, all pale pruinescent blue.100 2103 Orthetrum hintzi Dark shouldered Skimmer Male Close up Ezemvelo Dec 2016r 2  1 4456 Orthetrum hintzi lM C Wilge Jan 2025r 21 White spot between claspers and S10 viewed from above. 1 4458 Orthetrum hintzi lM C Wilge Jan 2025r 25. When young resembles the female

Female:1 4464 Nesciothemis farinosa Eastern Blacktail Lajuma Nature Reserve LP RSA Dec 2018r 12

  • Female darkens to a deep purple grey when mature, with few diagnostic marks visible 1 4101 Orthetrum hintzi Dark shouldered Skimmer Female GP RSA Mch 2016j 2 1 4111 Orthetrum hintzi Dark shouldered Skimmer Female Close up Hertzogberg MP RSA OCT 2020r 5 1 4434 Orthetrum hintzi Dark shouldered Skimmer F1 O Ezem Jan 2025r 4
  • Face and eyes light brown. 1 4117 Orthetrum hintzi Dark shouldered Skimmer Female Close up Hertzogberg MP RSA OCT 2020r 19
  • Thorax sides all greenish yellow brown, wide dark brown shoulder stripe present.1 4112 Orthetrum hintzi Dark shouldered Skimmer Female Close up Hertzogberg MP RSA OCT 2020r 8
  • Bases of all four wings with small dark brown to orange splashes.1 4121 Orthetrum hintzi Dark shouldered Skimmer Female Close up Hertzogberg MP RSA OCT 2020r 27
  • Abdomen segments 1 to 3 mostly yellowish. S 4 to 8 yellowish and dark brown at sides. S 9 and 10 dark brown with yellowish spots.1 4119 Orthetrum hintzi Dark shouldered Skimmer Female Close up Hertzogberg MP RSA OCT 2020r 23 When viewed from above the black marks from the side 'wraps" over to the dorsal side. White spots between claspers and on S 10
  • Foliations small, 1 4118 Orthetrum hintzi Dark shouldered Skimmer Female Close up Hertzogberg MP RSA OCT 2020r 20yellow with black edges1 4119 Orthetrum hintzi Dark shouldered Skimmer Female Close up Hertzogberg MP RSA OCT 2020r 23
Habitat:
  • Standing and often temporary waters, seeps and springs, in open landscapes and open areas in forest.Usually with emergent vegetation and often a soft (like muddy) bottom.
  • From 0 to 2400 m above sea level, but mostly below 1800.
Behaviour:
  • It has a fairly slow zigzag flight. Often returning to same perch, usually a grass stem or reed close to the ground and not usually over the water.
Compared with other species:
Distribution
Distribution Map June 2020 MapDistribution Map
South africa Political Map Political Map
Topographical Map South Africa Topographical Map
Orthetrum hintzi map afr resultDistribution map.
Political Map AfricaPolitical Map
Topographical Map AfricaTopographical Map

South Africa:

  • Dark-shouldered Skimmer, Orthetrum hintzi, Donkerskofskepper is found in the eastern and northern parts of South Africa 

Africa:

  • Angola; Benin; Botswana; Côte d'Ivoire; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Congo-Brazzaville; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Equatorial Guinea; Ethiopia; Gabon; Ghana; Guinee-Bissau; Kenya; Liberia; Malawi; Mali; Mozambique; Namibia; Nigeria; Republic of Guinea; Republic of South Africa; Rwanda; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Swaziland; Tanzania; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe
Further reading:

Websites:
D D IDA Visual Guide to the Damselflies and Dragonflies of South Africa
IUCNThe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species   Least Concern