Nomad
This dragonfly is a powerful migrant that can colonize ponds hundreds of kilometers from where it hatched, sometimes completing egg to adult development in under three months.
| Where | Shallow pools, ditches and wetlands |
|---|---|
| Size | 55 to 66 mm wingspan |
| When | May to October |
Males of the Nomad show a vivid red abdomen and thorax with red leading edge veins on the wings and yellow wing bases, while females are pale ochre brown with two broad diagonal stripes on the sides of the thorax.
A strong migrant, it favors shallow, often temporary pools and ditches, and in warm conditions can complete its full development from egg to adult in under three months, allowing several generations in a single year.
Traits
Habitat
Wetland
Colour
Red, Brown
Active
Day
To people
Approachable and calm, it is a harmless visitor to garden ponds, ditches and other open water.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Similar wingspan at about 48 to 60 mm, but told apart by legs carrying a bold yellow stripe and by lacking the male Nomad's red wing veins and yellow wing bases.
Questions
Is the Nomad dangerous to people?
Approachable and calm, it is a harmless visitor to garden ponds, ditches and other open water.
When can you see the Nomad?
The Nomad can be seen from May to October, by day.
Plate retouched from a museum specimen photo by Mati Marits, University of Tartu, Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden, CC BY 4.0, GBIF Licence
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Dragonflies and damselflies›Skimmers›Sympetrum
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.