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  Twelve-spotted Skimmer
            Libellula pulchella Drury, 1770

Species distribution map

Range & Habitat:

Throughout the state, found at lakes and ponds and along slow streams.

Twelve-spotted Skimmer male 

Click on the thumbnails to enlarge additional photos. 

Description:

The stunning males are dramatic and unmistakeable with their alternating wing spots of black and white. 

Females are duller, lacking the white spots.  They resemble female Common Whitetails but have thinner abdomens with lateral pale lines rather than a row of triangles and seldom perch on the ground.  They are also  similar to Prince Baskettails, which patrol almost constantly, unlike the fly and perch behavior of a skimmer.

 

Conservation Status:

State: S5 - Demonstrably secure in the state

Global: G5 - Secure globally, but possibly rare in parts of its range

For a full explanation of the ranks, click here

Flight season:

Early Date: 5/16
Late Date: 10/23

Please scroll down for monthly graph.

 

Flight Season

(hover your mouse over the bar for actual data)
 
Number of Records
17 
4 17 17 10 7 2
J F M A M J J A S O N D

Months

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Click here for acknowledgments
Date, distribution, and status data courtesy of Allen Barlow, NJOS

© 2006 Jim Bangma, NJOS  Comments or suggestions?  Use the Feedback Form