Canvas - Widow Skimmer Dragonfly

from $40.00
The Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa) is a large, striking North American dragonfly easily identified by its unique wing patterns. Both sexes possess prominent dark, blackish-brown patches near the base of all four wings, which give the species its "widow" name, possibly resembling a mourning veil. Mature males further develop broad, chalky white patches at the mid-wing, complementing their powdery blue abdomen and thorax, while females and young males have a brown and yellow striped abdomen and lack the bright white wing markings. As agile predators, these king skimmers are commonly found perching on vegetation near ponds, lakes, and marshes, from which they dart out to catch flying insects like mosquitoes, making them a welcome sight to many.
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The Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa) is a large, striking North American dragonfly easily identified by its unique wing patterns. Both sexes possess prominent dark, blackish-brown patches near the base of all four wings, which give the species its "widow" name, possibly resembling a mourning veil. Mature males further develop broad, chalky white patches at the mid-wing, complementing their powdery blue abdomen and thorax, while females and young males have a brown and yellow striped abdomen and lack the bright white wing markings. As agile predators, these king skimmers are commonly found perching on vegetation near ponds, lakes, and marshes, from which they dart out to catch flying insects like mosquitoes, making them a welcome sight to many.