Keeled Skimmer

Fascinating facts about the Keeled Skimmer

• Mating in the keeled skimmer is remarkably brief, lasting only five to 120 seconds. The pair often forms the characteristic wheel, which usually lands on a perch though it can remain airborne. After copulation the male rests briefly on the female's side before she takes off again. She then darts toward water, with the male following, to complete egg-laying in flight.
• When the coupling ends, the female immediately flies over the water surface, touching it briefly to deposit her eggs while still airborne. The male stays close behind, following her to ensure successful oviposition. This aerial egg-laying takes place after a short rest period on the male's side. The behaviour allows the species to lay eggs directly into suitable aquatic habitats.
• The keeled skimmer's development from egg to adult spans roughly two years. Its larvae are versatile, growing in both flowing streams and still waters such as ponds and peat bogs. This flexibility lets the species exploit a range of wet heathland habitats. After five to six weeks the larvae hatch, beginning the long juvenile phase.
• Eggs of the keeled skimmer hatch after five to six weeks, releasing tiny larvae into the water where they begin their life. The newly emerged larvae can be found in both flowing streams and stagnant waters such as ponds and peat bogs, showing the species' habitat flexibility. Although the early stage is brief, the overall development from egg to adult takes about two years, reflecting a long juvenile period before emergence as an adult dragonfly.
• Despite appearing to have a weak flight, the keeled skimmer is capable of travelling considerable distances away from water, often roaming far from its breeding ponds. Adults are on the wing from June to September in the UK, during which their flight is described as quite skittish with frequent hovering and frequent landings. This ability to move widely allows them to exploit a range of wet heathland sites beyond the immediate vicinity of their larval habitats.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

At a glance

About the Keeled Skimmer

As the warmth of summer dances across the water's edge, the Keeled Skimmer emerges, its slender body a mesmerizing blur of blue and yellow as it flits effortlessly above the vegetation. With a gentle touch, it alights upon a sun-kissed reed, its delicate wings beating at a hypnotic pace as it surveys its surroundings with an unblinking gaze. In this fleeting moment, the Keeled Skimmer embodies the very essence of serenity, its tranquil beauty a testament to the enduring harmony of the natural world.

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