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Needham's Skimmer dragonflies (males)

Libellula needhami

Description:

I spotted several red dragonflies (males). I wasn't sure whether the dragonflies were Golden-winged Skimmers or Needham's Skimmers. I consulted Richard Orr -- renowned Odonata expert http://www.marylandinsects.com/ -- for help in identifying the red dragons I saw. According to Richard, "If you were on the [Atlantic] coastal plain the chances are that you were seeing Needham’s Skimmers and not Golden-winged [Skimmers]. However that does not work 100% of the time." A range map for Needham's Skimmers supports Richard's speculation: http://bugguide.net/node/view/15576/data... "Needham's Skimmer" is named after James Needham, author of the classic reference book, _Dragonflies of North America_ (out of print).

Habitat:

"Paul Spring Park," one of seven small parks owned and maintained by the Community Association of Hollin Hills (CAHH), Fairfax County, Virginia USA. Paul Spring, a small stream, flows through the park year-round. Related Resource: http://waltersanford.blogspot.com/2010/1...

Notes:

Copyright © 2011 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved. www.wsanford.com

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Geodialist
Spotted by
Geodialist

Virginia, USA

Spotted on Aug 6, 2011
Submitted on Oct 19, 2011

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Reference

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