Thank you for your compliment. They are all over marshy areas this time of year.

Similar Flame Skimmer has more orange aroung center of wings....I feel sure you have the Neon Skimmer.

We have a really good Info page on the two.

Thanks. . .that page is where I made my final decision yesterday. . .but then I found a link to another dragonfly photographed in Mendocino. . .something called a Cardinal Meadowhawk, posted by John Fox, which is why I was confused. I appreciate your reference to the link on the discussion of Flame vs. Neon Skimmer.

Feather

of the thorax! We would have suggested Cardinal Meadowhawk, Sympetrum illotum as a better choice, especially with that 'less than two inch' size and those wings cocked forward.

Is there someone here who can verify it from these photos? Or does there need to be a specimen in hand? *tongue-in-cheek humor there* ;)

At any rate, I would like to know for sure: is it a Neon Skimmer OR a Cardinal Meadowhawk?

Whoa! John and Jane! I completely missed the white spot. Unless someone can do better, that's a clincher for me. And, the Cardinal seems limited to the West Coast, (which is why we don't have them at my place in N. Tex). Good eyeballs, you two! .....Feather, you humor about the specimen in hand, but I have a l-o-o-ong-handled net, so I can reach out where they think they're safe, because I have to look closely at them to feel secure in ID. Also, I can't photo some of them because they never seem to land on anything!

They're all black (floaters), so I didn't see the white ones, either. A big ooops on this one!

Egads, I TOTALLY missed the white spots, too! Not even until you mentioned it a second time. . .they look like little teardrops. OK, so a Cardinal it is. Thanks!!!

Thanks, I will see if someone can confirm and move this into the right area. Appreciate your comments.

Feather