Keeled Skimmer (?) at Birk Bank

[andrewmccafferty]

#3605

Can anybody confirm from this blurry picture whether I saw a Keeled Skimmer at Birk Bank today?

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   keeled-skimmer.jpg
   

[andrewmccafferty]

#3612

I’m told this might actually be a Black-tailed Skimmer

[Steve Graham]

#3613

Hi Andrew

I can confirm that as a male Keeled Skimmer. Both BT and Keeled have yellow pterostigma but Keeled has a yellow costa whereas BT have a dark one.

You can just make out the yellow costa on the right hand wing. Secondly, the eyes are blue grey rather than green as in BT. Also the extent of the black at the tip of the abdomen is greatly reduced unlike BT.

I first discovered the species there back in 2015, third Lancs record. It has been seen annually there and is breeding. It has a patchy distribution in western Britain. Resident in a small area of Cumbria but thought to be the only Lancashire breeding site until recently.

For more information try the Lancs Dragonfly FB Group, Pete Woodruff’s excellent blog or consult the local Dragonfly guru Pete Marsh.

Cheers
Steve

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