Image Credit: Paul and Kellie T. from West Tulsa County, OK
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Image Credit: Rudy P., Duke Gardens in Durham, NC
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Image Credit: Arch Baker
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Image Credit: Arch Baker
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Image Credit: Arch Baker
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Image Credit: Arch Baker
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Image Credit: Image copyright www.InsectIdentification.org; No Reproduction Permitted
Big and slow Widow Skimmer males and females do not look alike, but they have no problem recognizing each other.
Widow Skimmers live near warm waters. The water source could be a pond, marsh, small lake, or lagoon. Water is necessary for a skimmer's first life stage, and adults are often found near wet places, too. Transparent wings on males and females have similar thick black bands on either side, but males have a long abdomen that is light powdery blue, but females are yellow and black. Come mating season, adults have no trouble pairing off despite these color differences. Unlike some other species where males guard egg-laying females, Widow Skimmer males leave the female by herself, 'widowing' her as she lays her eggs just under the surface of the water.
Larval dragonflies are called naiads. They usually have large jaws and look more like a squat bug than an elegant dragonfly. They live underwater and eat smaller aquatic insects including other naiads sharing the same pond. They eventually leave the water and begin crawling on land to find a shrub or low plant to cling to. They molt again and emerge as adults in late spring or summer, depending on the climate. Adults feed on small insects and can be found resting on shrubs, reeds, and other short plants.
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Arthropoda
Class:Insecta
Order:Odonata
Family:Libellulidae
Genus:Libellula
Species:luctuosa
Identifying Information
Scientific Name: Libellula luctuosa
Category:
Dragonfly or Damselfly
Size (Adult; Length): 42mm to 50mm (1.64in to 1.95in)
Note: An insect's reach is not limited by lines drawn on a map and therefore species may appear in areas, regions and/or states beyond those listed above as they are driven by environmental factors (such as climate change), available food supplies and mating patterns. Grayed-out selections indicate that the subject in question has not been reported in that particular territory. U.S. states and Canadian provinces / territories are clickable to their respective bug listings.
Colors: white, black, blue, yellow, brown
