Purple Skimmer
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| Purple Skimmer | ||||||||||||||||
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 A purple form female.
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| Libellula jesseana (Williamson, 1922) |
The Purple Skimmer (Libellula jesseana) is a dragonfly of the skimmer family, native to Florida. It is 50–57 mm (2.0–2.2 in) long. Mature males have pale to dark blue pruinescence covering most of the thorax and abdomen, with black face and cerci. Most females are yellow and indistinguishable from female Golden-winged Skimmers (Libellula auripennis), but a few are purple.
It breeds only in clear, sandy-bottomed lakes with sparse vegetation, making it vulnerable to pollution, eutrophication, and habitat destruction. Adults fly from April 21 to September 12.
[edit] References
- Needham, James G.; Minter J. Westfall, Jr. and Michael L. May (2000). Dragonflies of North America (rev. ed.). Gainesville, FL: Scientific Publishers, 762-763. ISBN 0-945417-94-2.
- Odonata Specialist Group (1996). Libellula jesseana. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 7 June 2007.
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