Eight-spotted skimmer
| Eight-spotted skimmer | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Odonata |
| Suborder: | Anisoptera |
| Family: | Libellulidae |
| Genus: | Libellula |
| Species: | L. forensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Libellula forensis Hagen, 1861 [1] | |
 | |
| Range of L. forensis [2] | |
The eight-spotted skimmer (Libellula forensis) is a dragonfly of the skimmer family.
Description
It has two black spots on each wing for a total of eight, and can be distinguished from the similar twelve-spotted skimmer by counting the spots. Adult males are additionally adorned with opaque white spots between the black ones. It can be found west of the Rocky Mountains near muddy bottomed ponds and lakes.[3] East of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, some females may also have white spots, making them the only female dragonflies in North American with white spots on the wings.[4] The total length is 44 to 50 mm. Flight season is April through October.[3][4]
References
- ↑ "Libellula forensis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
- ↑ "Distribution Viewer". OdonataCentral. Retrieved December 2, 2009.
- 1 2 Abbott, John C. (2005). Dragonflies and Damselflies of Texas and the South-Central United States. Princeton University Press. p. 271. ISBN 0-691-11364-5.
- 1 2 Dunkle, Sidney W. (2000). Dragonflies Through Binoculars. Oxford University Press. pp. 297–298. ISBN 0-19-511268-7.
External links
Media related to Libellula forensis at Wikimedia Commons
- Libellula forensis on BugGuide.Net
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