Roseate Skimmers Laying Eggs In the Water

Fascinating Dragonfly behavior

There are well over 300 species of Dragonflies in North America and the male Roseate Skimmer is perhaps the most famous and iconic of the bright pink ones. The word ‘roseate’ means rose-colored, or pinkish, or rosy. The male Dragonfly’s abdomen is a striking pink color, and its thorax (between the abdomen and the head) adds a shade of what is described as lilac, or lavender, or plum. The thorax is also ‘pruinose’ which means covered with a white, powdery coating.

The female Roseate Skimmer, on the other hand, is not rose-colored at all. Her abdomen is a burnt orange color. Roseate Skimmers, like most dragonflies, have a short adult lifespan ranging from a few weeks to perhaps a few months.

As adults, Dragonflies’ life activities are simple: find mates, lay eggs in water, and consume the local insect population. Some Dragonflies, like the Roseate Skimmer, lay their eggs in water by using a technique that has been described as water-tapping or tip-dipping. The female will fly in circles, and each time she will dip or swing her abdomen into the water to release her eggs. In the photo below, she is getting in position to drop towards the water, with her abdomen bent and the end pointing towards the water.

Dragonflies control the action of each wing independently of the others. Here she is just about to reach the water and her abdomen is ready to hit the water.

As she hits the water, a few eggs are washed out. A Roseate Skimmer’s egg laying session may last a few minutes but she will have cycled through the water tapping process hundreds of times during those short few minutes.

After each tap she rises in the air again and then drops back down to the water.

The Roseate Skimmer flicks the eggs in the water droplets forward to the plants and muddy shore where they will be safe. Aquatic predators cannot reach the eggs placed there.

Once she is done, the female will fly away. There is no parental care. The dragonfly eggs will develop into tiny aquatic nymphs. The adult female dragonfly goes on with her life. Over the next few weeks she will repeat this egg-dispersal process over and over again.

While the female is laying her eggs in the water, the male Roseate Skimmer usually hovers overhead guarding her. He will chase away rival males and other potential predators that come too close. When she finishes laying eggs, he too returns to his regular perches and keeps an eye on his territory.

The Smithsonian has many fun facts about Dragonflies. You can read more about these fascinating insects here.