Eastern Blacktail dragonfly

Afrikaans name: Swartstert Skepper

Photo © Steven Herbert

Nesciothemis farinosa

With its black-tipped abdomen, black head and blue body the male Eastern Blacktail is one of the easier dragonflies to identify. Females are yellowish-brown with black sides to their abdomens and a cream line on the top of their thoraxes.

The Eastern Blacktail is found in a variety of habitats which range from ponds and dams to savanna.

They seem to have favourite perches from where they hunt returning to the same spot after a short flight.

It is found over most of sub-Saharan Africa.

This dragonfly is also referred to as the Black-tailed Skimmer.

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References and further reading

A Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of South Africa - Author: Warwick and Michele Tarboton - Year Published: 2015 - Page: 166