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Image Credit: Paul T. from West Tulsa County, OK
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Image Credit: Julio Guerrero Photography
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Image Credit: Arch Baker
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Image Credit: Carol E.
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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: 'h-matthews'at'att'dot'net'
Widow Skimmers are large and slow, making them great for observers to study. 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 the early years, so adults can be found near these types of places. Wings for males and females are similar with thick black bands on either side, but the long abdomen is a light powdery blue for males and yellow-and-black on females. Come mating season, adults pair off and mate. Unlike some other species where males guard egg-laying females, Widow Skimmer males leave the female by herself, 'widowing' her as her 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 will 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 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
