Eight-spotted skimmer

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Eight-spotted skimmer
Eight-spotted Skimmer (Libellula forensis).jpg
Scientific classification
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L. forensis
Binomial name
Libellula forensis
Hagen, 1861  [1]
North America Range Libellula forensis.svg
Range of L. forensis  [2]

The eight-spotted skimmer (Libellula forensis) is a dragonfly of the skimmer family.

Contents

Description

This dragonfly features the standard skimmer body form, and earns its name from the eight black markings on the wings. It is similar to the twelve-spotted skimmer, but lacks the black markings on the wing tips of that species. Males are additionally adorned with a total of eight opaque white spots. 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]

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<i>Pantala flavescens</i> Species of dragonfly

Pantala flavescens, the globe skimmer, globe wanderer or wandering glider, is a wide-ranging dragonfly of the family Libellulidae. This species and Pantala hymenaea, the "spot-winged glider", are the only members of the genus Pantala. It was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1798. It is considered to be the most widespread dragonfly on the planet with good population on every continent except Antarctica although rare in Europe. Globe skimmers make an annual multigenerational journey of some 18,000 km ; to complete the migration, individual globe skimmers fly more than 6,000 km —one of the farthest known migrations of all insect species.

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Twelve-spotted skimmer Species of dragonfly

The twelve-spotted skimmer is a common North American skimmer dragonfly, found in southern Canada and in all 48 of the contiguous U.S. states.

Neon skimmer Species of dragonfly

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Great blue skimmer Species of dragonfly

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<i>Potamarcha congener</i> Species of dragonfly

Potamarcha congener is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It was first described by Jules Pierre Rambur in 1842, almost fifty years before Friedrich Karsch described its genus. Potamarcha congener is one of two species making up the genus Potamarcha, together with Potamarcha puella.

Blue corporal Species of dragonfly

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<i>Epallage fatime</i> Species of damselfly

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References

  1. "Libellula forensis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
  2. "Distribution Viewer". OdonataCentral. Retrieved December 2, 2009.
  3. 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.
  4. 1 2 Dunkle, Sidney W. (2000). Dragonflies Through Binoculars. Oxford University Press. pp. 297–298. ISBN   0-19-511268-7.

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