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Species Libellula vibrans - Great Blue Skimmer

Representative Images

young Great Blue Skimmer - Libellula vibrans - male Dragonfly - male 3   -  6-08-09 - Libellula vibrans - male Great Blue Skimmer Dragonfly - Libellula vibrans White bodied Dragonfly - Libellula vibrans ID for a Florida panhandle dragonfly? - Libellula vibrans Unknown Dragon - Libellula vibrans - female Dragonfly - Libellula vibrans - female libellula? - Libellula vibrans

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 vibrans (Great Blue Skimmer)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Libellula vibrans Fabricius, 1793

Explanation of Names

From Latin vibra shake, vibrate (1).

Numbers

24 Nearctic species in the genus Libellula

Range

Primarily se US, but a few occasionally migrate as far north as Massachusetts(2)

Life Cycle

migratory

See Also

Libellula incesta - Slaty Skimmer--on full adult male, note dark eyes and face; on females, note entirely black femora
Erythemis simplicicollis - Eastern Pondhawk--full adult male--note green face

Works Cited

1.Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms
Donald J. Borror. 1960. Mayfield Publishing Company.
2.Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Massachusetts
Blair Nikula, Jennifer L. Loose, Matthew R. Burne. 2003. Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife.