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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) » Dragonflies (Anisoptera) » Skimmers (Libellulidae) » Libellula » Needham's Skimmer (Libellula needhami)
Photo#1119543
Needham's Skimmer - Libellula needhami - male
Copyright © 2015 nvhamlett@gmail.com

Needham's Skimmer - Libellula needhami - Male
Santa Rosa Island, Escambia County, Florida, USA
August 11, 2015
Detail showing visible diagnostic features:

Upper panel: Costa. I think the color changes at the node with the inner portion darker and the outer portion lighter. It is a bit difficult to tell, however, as the dragonfly was backlit. The image shown has been lightened quite a bit over the original.

Lower panel: Paranal cells proximal to anal loop. There are clearly four cells on each wing.


Please see general remarks under the first image of this individual.

Images of this individual: tag all
Needham's Skimmer - Libellula needhami - male Needham's Skimmer - Libellula needhami - male
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Contributed by nvhamlett@gmail.com on 11 August, 2015 - 1:17pm
Last updated 19 April, 2017 - 10:06am

Paranal cells proximal to anal loop
The outermost of the 4 cells in your image is five sided.
Is this always the case for a Needham's skimmer?
In a capture of a Golden-winged Skimmer (Libellula auripennis) I made this week I found 3 Paranal cells proximal to anal loop with the outermost cell having 4 sides.
Thanks for you help, as I was quite baffled as to whether it was a Needham's or a Golden.
… Kurt Hasselman, 26 April, 2020 - 9:40am login or register to post comments

 
Looks like this feature isn't diagnostic
Hi Kurt, I am far from an expert! I do most of my insect observing in California, so I really wasn't familiar with these species, and the diagram was there to explain my reasoning for the ID -- especially in case I was wrong!

Anyway, it you look at the specimen photos here ...

auripennis individuals

needhami individuals

... you'll see that the outermost cell sometimes has 5 sides and sometimes has 4 sides for both species, so I'm afraid that's not diagnostic.
… nvhamlett@gmail.com, 1 May, 2020 - 7:07pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Libellula.
… Ben Coulter, 28 August, 2015 - 7:57am login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Dragonflies.
… John S. Ascher, 28 August, 2015 - 7:48am login or register to post comments

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