Eight-spotted Skimmer

Eight-spotted Skimmer
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 white spots on the wings.[4] The total length is 44 to 50mm. Flight season is April through October.[3][4]

References

  1. ^ "Libellula forensis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=101911. 
  2. ^ "Distribution Viewer". OdonataCentral. http://www.odonatacentral.org/index.php/MapAction.windowed. Retrieved December 2, 2009. 
  3. ^ a b Abbott, John C. (2005). Dragonflies and Damselflies of Texas and the South-Central United States. Princeton University Press. p. 271. ISBN 0691113645. 
  4. ^ a b Dunkle, Sidney W. (2000). Dragonflies Through Binoculars. Oxford University Press. pp. 297–298. ISBN 0195112687. 

External links

Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Libellula_forensis Libellula forensis] at Wikimedia Commons