A Great Blue Skimmer dragonfly (Libellula vibrans) spotted along the “Hike-Bike Trail” at Huntley Meadows Park. This individual is a female as indicated by its coloration, and by the flanges beneath its eighth abdominal segment (used to scoop and hold a few drops of water during oviposition). Remember that all dragonflies and damselflies have a 10-segmented abdomen, numbered from front to back.
The femora are pale over their basal half with the remaining length, tibiae and tarsi black. Source Credit: Great Blue Skimmer, Odonata Central.
Copyright © 2012 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved. www.wsanford.com
Tags: female, Great Blue Skimmer dragonfly, Huntley Meadows Park, Libellula vibrans, oviposition, wildlife photography
walter sanford's photoblog 
August 16, 2012 at 12:14 am |
Excellent detailed photos! Great work!
July 31, 2018 at 7:01 pm |
Your images of the Great Blue Skimmer female match my photo more closely than anything else I’ve found on the internet. I spent a long time with this friendly lady, and her muted colors made i.d. difficult. The wing tip was the clincher.