Needham's Skimmer dragonfly

According to Richard Orr, renowned Odonata expert (http://www.marylandinsects.com/), "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 Related Resource: Needham’s Skimmer dragonfly (male), featuring excellent graphics for aid in identifying Needham's Skimmers versus Golden-Winged Skimmers. http://waltersanford.wordpress.com/2012/06/30/needhams-skimmer-dragonfly-male/

I'm sure of ID, although Geodialist is absolutely right. You have to treat those 2 species carefully because they can almost identical. However, here is a female Needham's, just as I believe your is: http://bugguide.net/node/view/18791/bgimage Note: 1) tracing the gold line on the front of the wings from the body out to the tip, notice it is not on the front edge but a couple of veins down, it goes out to the tip, then returns along the edge but only to the middle not all the way back to the body. On a Golden the entire front edge is gold from body yo tip. 2) the white mark on the side of the body on yours goes all the way to the "neck" past the thin black diagonal line/ crack of the " shoulder". On a golden the white stops abruptly at that line and does not extend to the neck. 3) goldens have dark almost black legs not yellowish brown like yours. Last, from my experience Needham's seem to be much more abundant or common here in South Florida. See the things I mentioned on this golden for comparison: http://bugguide.net/node/view/11802/bgimage

Did you take more photos of this dragonfly, Joan? I'm especially interested to get a clearer/closer look at the tip of the dragonfly's abdomen. (Terminal appendages may be used to determine gender.) Also, a side view may help to verify whether this individual is a Needham's Skimmer or Golden-winged Skimmer.

Yes, it is a dragonfly. You are also right it seems to bit in a bit of a rough shape. Not only the wing, but abdomen seems to have a strange bend in it.