Odonata117 species

Family Skimmers (Libellulidae)

Libellulidae is a family in the order Odonata. Browse 117 named species recorded in this family, or open an individual profile for its available identification and natural-history information.

Species in Libellulidae (117)

Tawny Pennant

Brachymesia herbida

Identification: Similar to female or immature B. gravida, but face is tan rather than dark, and stigmata are tan rather than white, and wing spots are much more diffuse. A vagrant in the US, though may have bred in the Florida Keys in 1997.

Gray-waisted Skimmer

Cannaphila insularis

Identification: Hindwings very narrow at their bases. Female usually has a wide flange on abdominal segment 8. May resemble the much more abundant Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis), but abdominal stripes (female and immature) are continuous rathe

Double-ringed Pennant

Celithemis verna

Identification: Fully adult male distinct from other Celithemis : blue-black body with small dark marks on hindwings .

Black Pondhawk

Erythemis attala

Identification: Similar to Pin-tailed Pondhawk but with a shorter, thicker abdomen.

Pin-tailed Pondhawk

Erythemis plebeja

Identification: Mature males with abdominal segments 1 - 3 black and very swollen, while 4 - 10 are very slender. Possibly introduced to Florida by human activities . Texas populations more likely natural.

Seaside Dragonlet

Erythrodiplax berenice

Identification: Dragonlet found in salt-marsh habitats. Mature male is very dark. Female has much more yellow, but also has "male-like form". Habitat is distinctive. The only dragonfly (Western Hemisphere) restricted to salt-marsh habitats.

Red-mantled Dragonlet

Erythrodiplax fervida

First US record taken at the National Butterfly Center in Mission, TX. -- Rick Nirschl on 19 December, 2012

Band-winged Dragonlet

Erythrodiplax umbrata

Identification: Mature males distinctive, with slender body and black bands on wings.

Blue Corporal

Ladona deplanata

Identification: Mature males deep blue, dark marks at the base of wings. Females and teneral males are brown with "corporal stripes" on thorax.

Frosted Whiteface

Leucorrhinia frigida

Identification: 2 cells adjacent to forewing triangle

Crimson-ringed Whiteface

Leucorrhinia glacialis

Identification: Double cells in radial planate of forewing

Hudsonian Whiteface

Leucorrhinia hudsonica

Identification: Older males: Younger males: Females: Note that females and immature males are similar to mature males, but instead of pale red they have yellow.

Canada Whiteface

Leucorrhinia patricia

Identification: According to Denis A. Doucet, looks like a miniature Crimson-ringed or Belted Whiteface, but can be positively ID'd by size (24-29mm) and shape of secondary genitalia (distal portion of male hamules devoid of projection)

Comanche Skimmer

Libellula comanche

Identification: Large blue dragonfly with white face and white stigmas on the wings

Neon Skimmer

Libellula croceipennis

Identification: Similar to Flame Skimmer, but thorax and abdomen bright red, wings not as broadly amber/brown streaked. (Amber wash on wings does not extend beyond the nodus) L. saturata - Flame skimmer: males bright orange with amber color in the wi

Broad-bodied Chaser

Libellula depressa

A medium-sized dragonfly with a very broad, flattened abdomen. The male is blue and the female yellow. Larvae are very similar to those of the Four-spotted Chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata) but have deeper serrations for the teeth and the eyes protru

Scarce Chaser

Libellula fulva

Length: 40 to 49mm. The abdomen of the mature male Scarce Chaser is pale blue. Its eyes are also blue. However, prior to maturity the male and female look very similar having deep orange colouration, black triangular shaped markings on the upper surf

Purple Skimmer

Libellula jesseana

Identification: Males have a purplish body and orange wings. Some females are similar, others are virtually identical to Golden-winged Skimmers ( L. auripennis ).

Needham's Skimmer

Libellula needhami

Identification: Gayle & Jeanell have just done some nice work figuring out the differences between needhami and auripennis, which can be found here . Gayle reports "For highest resolution, click on "get original uploaded photo", which appears below e

Four-spotted Chaser

Libellula quadrimaculata

The four wing spots give this species its name; the wings also have a large brown patch at base. Both sexes are similar with brown bodies tapering to a black tip. It prefers well-vegetated water with lots of submerged and emergent plants. Sexually ac

Painted Skimmer

Libellula semifasciata

Identification: Resembles a Halloween Pennant with very faint pattern, but this is distinctive, once seen. A subtly beautiful skimmer.

Ivory-striped Sylph

Macrothemis imitans

Can be found in the same habitat as jade-striped sylph

Straw-Colored Sylph

Macrothemis inacuta

Identification: Largest of three sylphs in North America. Brown with eyes becoming blue in adult males. Thoracic stripes are pale, incomplete--those of others in genus more prominent. Wings washed with amber .

Jade-striped Sylph

Macrothemis inequiunguis

Uncommon, but can be locally abundant in the right habitat. Can be found with ivory-striped sylph.

Spot-tailed Dasher

Micrathyria aequalis

Identification: All blue darkening on the last 4 or 5 segments, spot on the sides of segment 7 See Dunkle

Three-striped Dasher

Micrathyria didyma

Identification: Each side of the thorax has three parallel, vertical, straight black stripes. This distinguishes it from the very similar Thornbush Dasher (M. hagenii), in which the center stripe forks into a "Y". Also, the two white tail-spots are t

Elfin Skimmer

Nannothemis bella

Identification: Tiny. Male has pale blue body with white on face, clubbed abdomen. Female has banded pattern, likely Batesian mimic of wasp.

Carmine Skimmer

Orthemis discolor

Identification: Brilliant pink, sometimes purplish, sometimes more red, with bright red eyes and face. Face and eyes typically as brightly colored or brighter than the body; compare to Roseate Skimmer, in which the eyes and face are usually darker th

Antillean Skimmer

Orthemis undescribed

Dennis Paulson, pers. comm., said - "Stock Island is sort of the epicenter of their abundance in the Keys."

Black-tailed Skimmer

Orthetrum cancellatum

A medium-sized dragonfly with relatively broad, flattened abdomen, but not as broad as the two chaser species. Mature males have a pale blue abdomen with pale yellow spots on the sides and a dark tip. Immature males and females are unmistakable, bein

Keeled Skimmer

Orthetrum coerulescens

Length: 40 to 44 mm. A slim dragonfly with a pronounced dorsal keel (dark line down the middle of the back). Male: blue body and blue-grey eyes. Female: ochre abdomen and brown eyes. May be confused with Black-tailed Skimmer and Scarce Chaser. The Ke

Slough Amberwing

Perithemis domitia

Identification: Distinguished from the much more common and widespread Eastern Amberwing ( P. tenera ) by the dorsal abdominal pattern, where the dashes on each segment line up to form a straight dashed line (rather than the chevrons or triangles of

Mexican Amberwing

Perithemis intensa

Identification: Small, thorax and abdomen yellowish-brown and unmarked. Wing markings rather variable.

Common Whitetail

Plathemis lydia

Identification: Males and females have different wing patterns: Males: Immature males have the same body pattern as females but the same wing pattern as mature males: 'tween' males have abdomens that are beginning to turn blue, but the adolescent bod

Filigree Skimmer

Pseudoleon superbus

Identification: Adult: eyes pale with dark longitudinal stripes; thorax initially tan with numerous darker brown stripes, becoming diffusely black with age; wings variably patterned with black, but always with wide dark band at nodus; males usually h

Red-veined Darter

Sympetrum fonscolombii

Length: 38 to 40 mm.The bright red males and clear yellow-brown females are attractive. The eyes are brown above and blue below and the wing bases are yellow. The pterostigma is yellow to orange strongly outlined in black. The males become a deep red

Cherry-faced Meadowhawk

Sympetrum internum

Identification: See comments under rubicundulum . S. internum and S. rubicundulum are most likely conspecific.

Ruby Meadowhawk

Sympetrum rubicundulum

Identification: Males may be recognizable by shape of hamuli, but see comments by Steve here . rubicundulum and internum may be conspecific; see HERE

Ruddy Darter

Sympetrum sanguineum

A medium-sized dragonfly. Males are crimson red, females are ochre. The abdomen is slightly 'waisted'. Both sexes have all black legs (other red darters have a yellow stripe). The Ruddy Darter is slightly smaller than the Common Darter with a 'waiste

Common Darter

Sympetrum striolatum

This is one of the smaller dragonflies. The male is orange-red but becoming brown with age. Females (and juvenile males) are yellowish to light brown. The immature male however has pinky red patches on the thorax and abdomen. This species is most lik

Garnet Glider

Tauriphila australis

Identification: Dark hindwing markings small; abdomen is red in male, duller in female, with dark central stripe near tip

Aztec Glider

Tauriphila azteca

Identification: Only member of genus with dark bands on abdomen

Carolina Saddlebags

Tramea carolina

Identification: Similar to Red Saddlebags ( T. onusta ), but with darker face, averages more "filled in" saddle, and often has more extensive black around the final abdomen segments.