Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
 

Register · Log In
HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar
Upcoming Events

Photos of insects and people from the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2024

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29


Previous events
TaxonomyBrowse
Info
ImagesLinksBooksData
Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) » Dragonflies (Anisoptera) » Skimmers (Libellulidae) » Libellula » Slaty Skimmer (Libellula incesta)

Species Libellula incesta - Slaty Skimmer

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · See Also · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Ode larva - Libellula incesta - female Slaty Skimmer (Libellula incesta) - Libellula incesta Skimmer spp. - Libellula incesta Unknown Skimmer? - Libellula incesta - female Dragonfly - Libellula incesta slaty skimmer - Libellula incesta - female Need a dragonfly id please - Libellula incesta - female Dragonfly feeding on moth - Libellula incesta - female
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Odonata (Dragonflies and Damselflies)
Suborder Anisoptera (Dragonflies)
Family Libellulidae (Skimmers)
Genus Libellula
Species incesta (Slaty Skimmer)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Libellula incesta Hagen, 1861
Explanation of Names
Specific epithet incesta was given by Hagen for obscure reasons. Dunkle and Paulson (2021) state: "incestuous, perhaps alluding to looking like a hybrid between other closely related species".
Size
Length 4.5-5.6 cm
Identification
Mature adult male has slaty blue – sometimes almost black – body, with dark face and dark brown/blackish eyes.
Adult female differs from Great Blue Skimmer in having femora that are all black; see print references for other details.
Range
Eastern North America
Habitat
Ponds or slow-moving streams with muddy bottoms, often near woodlands
Season
Most of warm months in Florida, summer only farther north.
Food
Predatory; takes flying insects. Feeds from perches along edge of woodlands.
Life Cycle
Males defend territories along shores of ponds; most active in morning. Females oviposit alone, using abdomen to throw eggs to shore or into open water. They are usually guarded by male from above.
Remarks
A common species, tolerant of moderately polluted suburban ponds and the like.
See Also
Libellula vibrans (Great Blue Skimmer) doesn't occur as far north as Canada (yet), and adult male has white face and blue eyes (as opposed to dark face and dark brown/blackish eyes of male Slaty Skimmer)
Print References
Dunkle, pp. 183-184, plate 33 (1)
Nikula (2)
Dunkle and Paulson (2021). A Checklist of North American Odonata, Including English Name, Etymology, Type Locality, and Distribution, 2021 Edition (updated 12 Feb 2021). Research Gate link
Internet References
Odonata of the United States
Dragonflies of Georgia
Giff Beaton's page on King Skimmers includes this species.
RLE Photo
NJ Odes
Odonata Central--Texas
Works Cited
1.Dragonflies Through Binoculars: A Field Guide to Dragonflies of North America
Sidney W. Dunkle. 2000. Oxford Press.
2.Stokes Beginner's Guide to Dragonflies
Donald and Lillian Stokes. 2002. Little, Brown and Company.
Contributed by Cotinis on 9 March, 2004 - 5:19pm
Additional contributions by Robin McLeod, ceiseman
Last updated 24 July, 2024 - 6:02pm

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2025 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology at Iowa State University logo

Printer Friendly Version 		Terms of Use
Privacy Statement
Site Map
Contact