Greater blue skimmer
Its dark brown wing bases are the one reliable feature that separates it from several other similar looking blue bodied skimmer dragonflies across East Asia.
| Where | Ponds, marshes and paddy fields |
|---|---|
| Size | 50 to 60 mm body length |
| When | June to September |
Males are powder blue with a black tipped abdomen and dark eyes, while females are yellowish brown and darker overall; both have transparent wings with a black fringe, dark brown tips, and dark brown patches at the base.
It hunts small insects from perches over ponds, marshes and rice paddies, and spends the winter as an underwater larva before emerging as an adult in summer.
Traits
Habitat
Wetland
Colour
Blue, Black, Yellow
Active
Day
To people
Harmless to people; it does not bite or sting and simply flies off when approached.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Very similar powder blue males, but with clear, unmarked wing bases instead of the Greater blue skimmer's dark brown patches, and a more slender build.
Questions
Is the Greater blue skimmer dangerous to people?
Harmless to people; it does not bite or sting and simply flies off when approached.
When can you see the Greater blue skimmer?
The Greater blue skimmer can be seen from June to September, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Timur Kalininsky, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
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Dragonflies and damselflies›Skimmers›Orthetrum
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.