The Dragonflies and Damselflies of North Carolina
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North Carolina's 189 Odonate species
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Related Species in LIBELLULIDAE: Number of records for 2025 = 0

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[View PDF]		Elfin Skimmer (Nannothemis bella) by John Petranka, Sally Gewalt
Compare with: Little Blue Dragonlet  
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Note: these identification tips apply specifically to mature males; features may differ in immature males and in females.
Nannothemis_bella

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Click on county for list of all its records for Elfin Skimmer
Flight Charts
Distribution In NC, it is restricted to the Sandhills region, plus the adjacent western Coastal Plain (Bladen County) and the southeastern edge of the Piedmont. Although one might assume the northern edge of the range lies in NC, the whole range covers the Atlantic seaboard from southeastern Canada south to FL and LA, and west to MN. Clearly, the species has a highly disjunct overall range; it almost certainly is not found in most or nearly all other Coastal Plain counties to the VA line.
Abundance Uncommon to locally common in the Sandhills, but as it is one of the world's smallest dragonflies, it is very easily overlooked. Very rare to rare east of the Sandhills and in the adjacent southeastern edge of the Piedmont. Nonetheless, there are a few one-day counts of at least 150 individuals.
Flight A rather narrow flight period; mid-April to late July. A 2018 record from March 10 is extremely early. The few records for the adjacent Piedmont fall between mid-May and early June, certainly too narrow to represent the flight period there.
Habitat Highly restricted to boggy spots, with much sphagnum; often at seepages. These can be around the margins of beaver ponds or man-made ponds, damp places in powerline clearings, and natural fire-maintained seepage slopes.
Behavior Adults perch and fly very close to the ground/water, often no more than 4-5 inches off the ground, amid grasses, sedges, and rushes. They seldom arise above the height of the herbaceous vegetation.
Comments To see the species, one must go to boggy places around a pond margin or a wet powerline clearing in the Sandhills, and expect to get one's feet damp. They can be confused with Little Blue Dragonlet, which shares its habitat but is slightly larger and has a less obvious club. Be careful where you step, as you might have them underfoot!
State Rank S3S4
State Status W
Global Rank G4G5
Federal Status
Synonym
Other Name
Species account update: LeGrand on 2023-01-17 09:20:05
Photo Gallery for Elfin Skimmer   17 photos are shown. Other NC Galleries:    Jeff Pippen    Will Cook    Ted Wilcox
Elfin Skimmer, Nannothemis bellaPhoto 1 by: Richard Stickney

Comment: Richmond; C, 2023-04-17, Indian Camp Lake - Immature male		Elfin Skimmer, Nannothemis bellaPhoto 2 by: B. Bockhahn

Comment: Cumberland, 2021-06-09,
Elfin Skimmer, Nannothemis bellaPhoto 3 by: Matt Spangler

Comment: Scotland, 2021-05-06, Sandhills GL--Scotland Lake - 75M 40F, counted by 5s while surveying 1/4 of the lake shore		Elfin Skimmer, Nannothemis bellaPhoto 4 by: B. Bockhahn, K. Kittelberger

Comment: Hoke; 2020-05-14, Nicholson Creek Game Land
Elfin Skimmer, Nannothemis bellaPhoto 5 by: Owen McConnell

Comment: Richmond; C, 2018-05-18, Broadacres Lake - 6 males, 3 females		Elfin Skimmer, Nannothemis bellaPhoto 6 by: Mark Shields, Hunter Phillips

Comment: Scotland, 2017-05-15, Scotland Lake and in-flowing creek, Sandhills Game Land
Elfin Skimmer, Nannothemis bellaPhoto 7 by: Mark Shields, Hunter Phillips

Comment: Scotland, 2017-05-15, Scotland Lake and in-flowing creek, Sandhills Game Land		Elfin Skimmer, Nannothemis bellaPhoto 8 by: Kyle Kittelberger

Comment: Scotland, 2017-05-08, Sandhill Game Land; Scotland Lake - everywhere
Elfin Skimmer, Nannothemis bellaPhoto 9 by: Kyle Kittelberger

Comment: Scotland, 2017-05-08, Sandhill Game Land; Scotland Lake - everywhere		Elfin Skimmer, Nannothemis bellaPhoto 10 by: Mike Turner, Conrad Wernett, Alyssa Wernett

Comment: Scotland, 2017-05-07, Sandhill Game Lands creek at SR 1328 (Hoffman Rd)
Elfin Skimmer, Nannothemis bellaPhoto 11 by: Mike Turner, Conrad Wernett, Alyssa Wernett

Comment: Scotland, 2017-05-07, Sandhill Game Land; Scotland Lake - 75 adult males		Elfin Skimmer, Nannothemis bellaPhoto 12 by: John Petranka, Sally Gewalt

Comment: Scotland, 2015-05-08, Scotland Lake - Mostly males.
Elfin Skimmer, Nannothemis bellaPhoto 13 by: John Petranka, Sally Gewalt

Comment: Richmond; C, 2015-05-08, Broadacres Lake; shoreline near the parking area. - Males; one a characteristcally green teneral.		Elfin Skimmer, Nannothemis bellaPhoto 14 by: John Petranka, Sally Gewalt

Comment: Richmond; C, 2015-05-08, Broadacres Lake; shoreline near the parking area. - Males; one a characteristcally green teneral.
Elfin Skimmer, Nannothemis bellaPhoto 15 by: Conrad Wernett, Alyssa Wernett, Matt Anderson

Comment: Richmond; C, 2015-05-03, - Males, females, both mature and immature at Scotland and Broadacres Lakes		Elfin Skimmer, Nannothemis bellaPhoto 16 by: Ali Iyoob, Matt Daw, Dan Irizarry

Comment: Scotland, 2011-05-05, Scotland Lake in the Sandhills Game Land
Elfin Skimmer, Nannothemis bellaPhoto 17 by: R. Emmitt

Comment: Richmond; C, 2000-06-11, mature female from Crappie Lake