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Flame Skimmer Dragonfly
Libellula saturata
39.7732, -121.867
Field Notes
Description:
28 - 61mm long with a 85 - 90mm wing span. This one would not hold still for me to measure so these are the standard sizes for this species. They have a thick body with brownish red on top of the head, brownish red thorax, and a orange-red abdomen. The wings are yellowish orange on the basal half & clear at the tips with reddish veins.
Habitat:
These brightly colored dragonflies normally frequent small ponds during spring through late summer, laying their eggs in bodies of standing water in everything from ditches to lakes. Skimmers have also been known to lay eggs in hot springs in the northern parts of their range.
Notes:
There are no bodies of water near my home in the summer but they show up more when I am watering my lawn and flowers. The adults feed mainly on small flying insects & small moths, and the larvae feed on small aquatic insects, worms, small fish & tadpoles.
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