Great Blue Skimmer - (Libellula vibrans)

The Great Blue Skimmer is a large dragonfly that is content to watch the summer days go by.

Staff Writer (8/11/2017): The brightly colored bodies of the Great Blue Skimmer are characteristic of most of the dragonflies in the Libellulidae family. Members are sometimes called King Skimmers because of their large size. The wings of the Great Blue Skimmer have black bands and spots. The males have an abdomen that is thick and light blue. They may have some green markings on the sides of their thorax ('chest'). Females have brown abdomen and aren't really blue at all!

Adults are most active in the peak summer months. Males can be seen resting on vegetation for long periods of time. Females flick fertilized eggs onto the shore after picking up a drop of water to help them stick on land. Larvae hatch and develop in still waters.

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Details of the:
Great Blue Skimmer

Category: Dragonfly or Damselfly
Common name: Great Blue Skimmer
Scientific Name: Libellula vibrans
Other Names: Blue Skimmer

Taxonomy:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Odonata

Family: Libellulidae

Genus: Libellula

Species: vibrans

Size (Adult, Length): 18mm to 64mm (0.71in to 2.52in)

Identifying Colors: blue; black; white; brown; green; yellow

North American Reach (Though Not Limited To*): Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee,Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Ontario

* Keep in mind that an insect's reach is not limited by lines on a map and therefore may appear in areas/regions/states beyond those listed above.

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