Slaty skimmer
Mature males turn powdery blue with a black face, while females and young males stay brown with a pale stripe, so the sexes can look like different species.
| Where | Ponds, lakes and slow streams |
|---|---|
| Size | 45 to 57 mm body length |
| When | May to September |
Adult slaty skimmers are medium sized dragonflies about 45 to 57 mm long. Mature males are slate blue overall with a black head and face, while females and immature males are brown with a dark stripe down the back.
Nymphs develop in the mud and leaf litter of ponds, lakes and slow, muddy streams, often near woodland. Adult males perch on low waterside plants to guard a stretch of shoreline, chasing off rivals and hunting from their perch, and are most active in the morning.
Traits
Habitat
Wetland
Colour
Blue, Brown, Black
Active
Day
To people
Does not bite or sting people; territorial males perch conspicuously near water and can be watched closely.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
A very similar blue skimmer of overlapping size and range, best told apart by face color: mature males have a pale face, while mature male slaty skimmers have a dark face.
Questions
Is the Slaty skimmer dangerous to people?
Does not bite or sting people; territorial males perch conspicuously near water and can be watched closely.
When can you see the Slaty skimmer?
The Slaty skimmer can be seen from May to September, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Steven Lamonde, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
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Dragonflies and damselflies›Skimmers›Libellula
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.