Libellulidae

Libellulidae, commonly known as the skimmers, is a large and diverse family of dragonflies within the order Odonata. In Minnesota and the Upper Midwest, this family includes many of the familiar pond, marsh, lake-edge, and wetland dragonflies seen perched on grasses, stems, twigs, floating vegetation, and open shoreline plants.

Skimmers are often among the most approachable dragonflies for photography because many species perch repeatedly, return to favorite lookout points, and show distinctive color patterns on the wings, thorax, abdomen, or face.

General Appearance

Adult skimmers are usually small to medium-sized dragonflies, though some species are fairly robust. Most have broad-based wings, large eyes that meet on top of the head, and a perching posture with the wings held open horizontally or slightly forward.

Coloration is highly variable across the family. Some species are bright blue, red, orange, yellow, brown, black, or white; others show strong wing bands, basal wing patches, dark stigmas, pale pruinescence, or patterned abdomens. Males and females often look quite different, and immature males may resemble females before developing mature coloration.

Common field marks include:

blue or chalky pruinescence on mature males
amber, brown, black, or white wing patches
striped or patterned thoraxes
contrasting abdominal spots, bands, or dark terminal segments
red, green, brown, blue-gray, or two-toned eyes
repeated use of exposed perches near water

Habitat and Behavior

Species in this family are associated with a wide range of aquatic habitats, including:

ponds
marshes
lakeshores
bogs and wet meadows
slow streams and backwaters
vegetated ditches
temporary or shallow wetlands
open muddy, sandy, or rocky shorelines

Many skimmers are perch hunters. They watch from stems, twigs, floating plants, shoreline vegetation, logs, rocks, or bare ground, then make short flights to capture prey or chase rivals. Some species patrol more continuously, especially over open water or along shoreline edges.

Behavioral patterns useful for field identification include:

repeated return to a favorite perch
low, direct flights over water or vegetation
territorial chasing by males
obelisk posture in hot sun
wing-flicking or wing-tilting while perched
seasonal concentration around breeding wetlands
strong differences between open-water, marsh-edge, meadow, and woodland-edge species

Skimmers are often most active in warm, sunny conditions, especially from late spring through summer into early fall, depending on the species.

Identification Characters

Key field characters include:

Wing markings: clear wings, amber basal patches, dark bands, white patches, dark tips, or smoky shading.
Wing venation: details of venation can be useful, but most field identifications rely more heavily on wing pattern, body shape, and color.
Thoracic patterning and pruinescence: side stripes, shoulder stripes, pale frosting, and mature male pruinosity are often important.
Abdominal segment coloration: spots, bands, black tips, dorsal stripes, pale rings, and segment-by-segment color changes help separate species.
Body form: some species are compact and short-bodied; others are broad, flattened, slender, or long-winged.
Eye color and face color: useful in species such as Blue Dasher, meadowhawks, whitefaces, corporals, pennants, and amberwings.
Sex and age: females, immature males, and mature males may differ dramatically.
Terminal appendages: often important for separating difficult species, especially similar meadowhawks and related genera.

Many skimmers can be identified from good photographs, especially when images show the side of the thorax, wing bases, abdomen pattern, face, and terminal segments. However, some groups require close inspection, multiple angles, or expert review.

For photographic identification, try to capture:

side view of the thorax
dorsal or angled view of the abdomen
clear wing pattern and wing bases
face and eye color
terminal appendages if possible
perched posture and surrounding habitat

Life Cycle and Ecology

Like all odonates, skimmers have aquatic larvae, usually called naiads or nymphs. These larvae live in submerged vegetation, detritus, mud, sand, leaf litter, or shallow bottom sediments, depending on the species and habitat. They are predators on small aquatic organisms and may remain underwater for months or longer before emergence.

Adults emerge from the water, harden and mature away from the emergence site, then return to suitable wetlands for breeding. Males often hold territories near water, while females may appear more briefly for mating and egg-laying.

Oviposition behavior varies by species. Some females tap the water surface with the abdomen, drop eggs into shallow water, oviposit among floating vegetation, or release eggs near wet mud or emergent plants. Males may guard females during oviposition, hover nearby, or resume territorial behavior after mating.

Skimmers are important predators of small flying insects and are also prey for birds, frogs, spiders, robber flies, larger dragonflies, and other wetland predators.

Similar Families and Distinguishing Features

Other dragonfly families may resemble skimmers, especially at a distance. Useful distinctions include body shape, eye placement, wing markings, flight behavior, and resting posture.

Corduliidae — Emeralds: often more metallic, darker, or green-eyed, with many species patrolling rather than frequently returning to exposed perches. Some emeralds require close views or capture-level details for confident identification.
Macromiidae — Cruisers: generally strong, fast-flying dragonflies that patrol streams, rivers, and lakeshores. They are usually less perch-oriented than typical skimmers.
Gomphidae — Clubtails: eyes are separated rather than touching on top of the head, and many species show a clubbed abdomen. They often perch on ground, rocks, logs, or leaves.
Aeshnidae — Darners: generally larger, long-bodied, strong-flying dragonflies. Many patrol continuously and have a different body shape from the shorter, broader-bodied skimmers.

Skimmers are often recognized by their open-winged perch posture, colorful bodies, patterned wings, and habit of using prominent lookout perches near still or slow water.

Representative Genera

Pachydiplax – includes Blue Dasher; small, active perch hunters with strongly contrasting male and female coloration.
Libellula – a broad group including many familiar skimmers with wing bands, basal patches, or patterned abdomens.
Plathemis – includes whitetails and corporals; often broad-bodied with conspicuous wing markings.
Ladona – includes corporals; early-season skimmers with distinctive thoracic and wing patterns.
Erythemis – includes pondhawks; active predators with strong sexual color differences.
Sympetrum – meadowhawks; often red, yellow, or brownish skimmers, many requiring careful views of markings and appendages.
Leucorrhinia – whitefaces; compact northern skimmers, often with pale faces and dark bodies with contrasting abdominal markings.
Celithemis – pennants; colorful, patterned species often associated with ponds, marshes, and emergent vegetation.
Perithemis – amberwings; very small skimmers with amber-toned wings and fluttery flight.
Tramea – saddlebags; long-winged, strong-flying skimmers with dark basal wing patches.
Pantala – gliders; wandering, strong-flying species often seen away from water and sometimes involved in long-distance movements.

Species Notes in This Family

Family overview intended for field study and photographic reference; close inspection and, when necessary, examination of appendages, genitalia, or larval characters may be required for confident identification.