Eight-spotted Skimmer

Libellula forensis

Libellula forensis is a dragonfly species of the genus Libellula of the subfamily Libellulinae. Its distribution area extends west of the Rocky Mountains in the U.S. and Canada.

Features

Construction of Imago

The animal reaches a length of 44 mm to 50 mm, with 27 to 32 millimeters of which attributable to the abdomen. L. forensis has a bright yellow face with two brighter spots on the forehead. The thorax is brown and has two yellow stripes on both sides. The hind wings reach a length 35-41 mm. Both pairs of wings have a propagating up to the wing triangle dark brown shadow at the base. Another spot in the wing is located between the nodus and just before the pterostigma. In adult males, and occasionally also in females, the surfaces whitish color to these dark wing regions. The blunt abdomen is dark brown and has yellow stripes on the sides at the rear of the abdomen in points dissolves. With age the abdomen colored ash. In females, the eighth segment is slightly wider.

Construction of the larva

The larvae possess centrally in the face seated eyes and have a long, tapered abdomen towards the end. The edge of the unpaired front part of the labium, called prementum is smooth.

Credentials

• Libellula ( genus )
• Libellula