Twelve-spotted skimmer
Males patrol shoreline territories with looping flights, and when two rivals meet they duel with repeated vertical loops in the air until one gives way.
| Where | Ponds, lakes, marshes and slow streams |
|---|---|
| Size | 75 to 97 mm wingspan |
| When | May to September |
The twelve-spotted skimmer is a large dragonfly with three dark brown spots on each of its four wings. Mature males also show eight white spots between the dark ones and a pale, dusty coating on the abdomen, while females and young males have plain brown wings and a yellow-striped abdomen with no white spots.
Adults hunt flying insects over ponds, lakes, marshes and slow streams, and males defend patrol territories along the shoreline, chasing off rival males with looping flights. They are most active from May to September.
Traits
Habitat
Wetland
Colour
Black, Brown, White
Active
Day
To people
Does not sting or bite people; adults hunt only flying insects.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Has straight-edged brownish black wing bands rather than spots, and females show zigzag white stripes down the abdomen instead of the straight yellow stripes of the skimmer.
Questions
Is the Twelve-spotted skimmer dangerous to people?
Does not sting or bite people; adults hunt only flying insects.
When can you see the Twelve-spotted skimmer?
The Twelve-spotted skimmer can be seen from May to September, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Nick Block, 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.