black-tailed skimmer orthetrum cancellatum

mating
black-tailed skimmer
male is immature: a lot of abdominal background colour is still yellow
black-tailed skimmer
male is fully mature


mating & in flight!
black-tailed skimmer


feeding
black-tailed skimmer
black-tailed skimmer eating what looks like a damselfly


portraits
black-tailed skimmer
The male has greenish blue eyes, blue abdomen and black on s7 - s9. For both sexes, the costa is yellow and the wing-spots are black. Also, there is no dark patch at the base of any wing (helps to differentiate it from broad-bodied chaser and scarce chaser).
black-tailed skimmer
A maturing male has yellowish half-moons along the sides of the body. When mature, these become covered with blue pruinescence.
black-tailed skimmer
It's hard to believe that this immature male develops into the mature form shown above. It's superficially similar to the female but the abdominal markings are darker and the appendages differ.
black-tailed skimmer
The female has greenish or light brown eyes and a black ladder shape along the body.
black-tailed skimmer
teneral female
black-tailed skimmer
A male who has folded his legs behind his head.
black-tailed skimmer
A female whose colour has become more dull with age.


in flight
black-tailed skimmer
Female in flight.


an ageing sequence: (male)
black-tailed skimmer
picture 1 of 4: very soon after emergence; the wings are still shiny and soft
black-tailed skimmer
picture 2 of 4: the dark stripes down the abdomen are stronger and the background colour is bright yellow indicating an immature specimen
black-tailed skimmer
picture 3 of 4: most of the yellow on the abdomen has been covered by a blue powder. Some lateral yellow arcs are still visible.
black-tailed skimmer
picture 4 of 4: the pruinescence has covered the abdomen including the lateral yellow arcs. This is an adult male.


an ageing sequence: (female)
black-tailed skimmer
picture 1 of 4: the wings are shiny but the wing-spots have some colour and the abdominal colours are fairly strong
black-tailed skimmer
picture 2 of 4: the background colour is bright yellow. The wing-spots are black and the eyes are olive & brown.
black-tailed skimmer
picture 3 of 4: the yellow of the abdomen is less bright, the eyes are soft green. The leading edges (the costas) of the wings are yellow. This is now an adult female.
black-tailed skimmer
picture 4 of 4: the abdominal colour of females becomes duller with age. Surprisingly the wings are still in good condition.