Elusive Skimmer, Orthetrum rubens, Mistieke Skepper      

107 561 2018 1215 164253 cs Elusive Skimmer, Orthetrum rubens
107 560 2018 1215 160029 cs Elusive Skimmer, Orthetrum rubens
107 595 Female 1
Short Description:

Elusive Skimmer, Orthetrum rubens, Mistieke Skepper is medium sized, pale blue with a buff and red thorax, distinctly striped, and with slightly smoky wings.

Family Libellulidae Leach, 1815 
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107 560 2018 1215 160029 csImage
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Key identification features:

Male:

  • Length 43 mm, wingspan 66 mm
  • Face light reddish and yellowish brown, top of head (vertex) shiny black.
  • Eyes bluish grey.
  • Thorax red at sides with two distinct diagonal white stripes with black upper edge, broken light yellow stripe runs along top of thorax, shoulder light yellow with dark, central stripe and two fine outside shoulder stripes.(diagnostic). Small grey patch at the upper hind margin of the white stripes
  • Wings, especially tips and leading edges, slightly smoky brown. Bases of all wings with small orange to basal brownish flares. Venation very fine and net-like, particularly at tips. Leading edges of all wings distinctly yellowish. DC (discoidal cell) in forewing shows 2 cross-veins. Pterostigmas deep yellowish, 3 mm long.
  • Abdomen of moderate thickness, pale blue, darkening at tip, base with yellowish and brown spots at side and on top of segment 1.
  • Secondary genitalia diagnostic

Female:

  • Similar to male, brownish
  • More extensive basal wing patches and yellowish marks on segments 9 and 10,
  • Thorax sides (including young males) are maroon with two broad diagonal white stripes with black edge above (but not below) and bicoloured thoracic side stripes conspicuous.
 Habitat:
  • Habitat under severe threat but new locations are being discovered, Found at headwater streams in open landscapes. Especially calmer sections (like pools), usually boggy (upland marshes) and often with emergent vegetation and a soft (like muddy) bottom.
    Inferred to occur from 0 to 1700 m above sea level but mainly above 1200m. May occur lower but damming and march conversion destroyed the habitat of this species. Further research to find the required habitat at lower elevations is required
Behaviour:
  • Usually eluding detection, being a fast flier over fynbos. Mostly seen at high altitude.
Compared with other species:
  • This species is distinguished by its light brown to reddish thorax, and dark, arrow-like shoulder stripe, as well as two light side stripes bordered by black. It also has net like, brownish wings, especially the leading edges and the tips, and a shiny black vertex.
  • These, and the orange and black body, make this species distinctive.
  • The basal brownish wing flares are also characteristic.
  • The only non-blue species in SA.
Distribution Map June 2020 Map

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

South Africa:

  • Extremely rare and threatened. WCP endemic, known only from Table Mountain, Hottentots-Holland, Langeberg and Tulbagh.
Further reading:

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