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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) » Dragonflies (Anisoptera) » Skimmers (Libellulidae) » Libellula » Spangled Skimmer (Libellula cyanea)

Species Libellula cyanea - Spangled Skimmer

Dragonfly - Libellula cyanea - female Spangled Skimmer - Libellula cyanea - male Unknown Skimmer? - Libellula cyanea - female Spangled Skimmer - Libellula cyanea - male Unknown Dragonfly - Libellula cyanea - female Spangled Skimmer - Libellula cyanea - female Spangled Skimmer - Libellula cyanea spangled skimmer - Libellula cyanea - male
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 cyanea (Spangled Skimmer)
Numbers
One of 24 species in the genus.
Size
40-48 mm.
Identification
Male thorax and abdomen blue. Eyes dark green to black; face black.


Female brown with yellow stripes. Clear wings with brown wing tips.


But watch for young males which have female coloration, but with clear wingtips (and claspers!):


Both genders: stigmas are half-black, half-white.
Range
Eastern U.S. and as far west as Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Habitat
Well-vegetated ponds and lakes; occasionally slow-moving areas of streams.
Season
Primarily a summer species, but may be present in Spring and Fall as well.
Food
Small flying insects.
See Also
Comanche Skimmer (Western Oklahoma, Central Texas westward)
Print References
(1)
Internet References
Odonata Central website

Dragonflies and Damselflies of West Virginia
Works Cited
1.Dragonflies Through Binoculars: A Field Guide to Dragonflies of North America
Sidney W. Dunkle. 2000. Oxford Press.
Contributed by Stephen_WV on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm
Additional contributions by john and jane balaban, Chuck Sexton
Last updated 25 June, 2018 - 3:15pm

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