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Widow Skimmer

Libellula luctuosa

Description:

This is a large, showy dragonfly approximately 1 3/4 inches or 45 mm in length. The thorax and abdomen of the females and juvenile males are brown with a prominent yellow stripe extending from the top of the thorax and separating into lateral yellow stripes on the sides of the abdomen. The wings of the female are clear with black wingtips and larger black patches at the base of the wing. The abdomen and the thorax of the adult male becomes white or pruinose with age. Both the forewings and hindwings have a broad, black basal band with an adjacent white band through the center of the wing. This is the only dragonfly with this color pattern on the wings. Both sexes have black stigmas, a narrow cell near the wingtip. Juvenile males have the same body coloration as females, but the wings are as described for the adult male.

Habitat:

Development greenbelt

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joanbstanley
Spotted by
joanbstanley

Denton, Texas, USA

Spotted on Jul 15, 2014
Submitted on Aug 4, 2014

Related Spottings

Widow Skimmer Libellula depressa Scarce Chaser. (Spitzenfleck) Slaty Skimmer

Nearby Spottings

Carolina Anole Swift Setwing Common Whitetail     female Widow Skimmer      male

Reference

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