Libellula

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Libellula is a genus of dragonflies, called chasers (in British English) or skimmers (in American English), in the family Libellulidae. They are distributed throughout the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. Many have showy wing patterns and bright bodies.[2][3]

Identification

These are medium to large dragonflies, Template:Cvt in length. The faces of these dragonflies can be white, yellow, red, brown, or black. Their bodies can be light yellow, orange, red, or brown, and the males often have a glaucous or pruinose coating when mature. Wings in the genus Libellula often have yellow, orange, or brown patterns, or they can be completely clear.[3]

Unique characteristics belonging only to the genus Libellula are not well defined. Many species or individual dragonflies have variations of these identifying traits. However, four synapomorphies are described, with two of them referring to the wing venation. The other two identifying features of the genus Libellula are a characteristic brown area at the base of the forewing and a wide abdomen.[3]

Distribution and habitat

Libellula dragonflies are generally distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. A few species are endemic to Europe and Asia, but much of the diversity of this genus in North America. L. herculea is the only species with an extensive distribution in South America.[3][4][obsolete source]

Adult Libellula are commonly found near bodies of water, perching or landing on reeds and branches. Larvae of the genus live exclusively in water, particularly in the muddy bottoms of still or slow-moving water bodies.[3] Some species, like L. pulchella, can live in drinking tanks of well-water for cattle, along with their natural habitat of ponds and marshes.[5]

Of the 28 species in the genus,[6] five are currently listed on the IUCN Red List as threatened with extinction. L. angelina is listed as critically endangered, L. coahuiltecana is endangered, and L. jesseana is vulnerable. The other two species, L. mariae and L. pontica, are listed as near threatened.[7]

Biology

File:Exuvie 7578.jpg
The shed exoskeleton of a Libellula nymph. The well-developed jaw used to catch prey can be seen to the left of the rest of the head.

Eggs are laid by adult females directly into water bodies, which will hatch into aquatic nymphs. Libellula nymphs can compete for resources with other nymphs in their genus in a shared habitat. These nymphs will also show cannibalism on each other in high densities, and dragonflies are often the top predator in fishless water bodies.[8] Species within Libellula are efficient predators, using mechanical and visual cues to release their developed labium and labial palpi to catch their prey.[9]

Adult males in the genus Libellula can be territorial and aggressive. The territories they defend are ideal breeding sites, which are in sunlight and lacking surface vegetation. They fly around their territory and attack other male dragonflies to eliminate mating competition.[10] The males are likely territorial due to the sex-ratio being biased towards males, meaning that there are more males than females.[11]

Etymology

The genus name comes from Latin libella, meaning "a carpenter's level", because of the insect's ability to stay level when hovering.[12]

Taxonomy

The type species is Libellula depressa Linnaeus, 1758, designated by William Forsell Kirby in 1889.[1] Some subsequent authors have cited Libellula quadrimaculata as the type,[4] but this contravenes the principle of priority.

The taxa Ladona (corporals) and Plathemis (whitetails) have been considered as synonyms of Libellula, subgenera, or separate genera by different authorities. Some phylogenetic analysis using 16S rRNA sequence data and insect morphology has supported their status as subgenera of Libellula rather than independent genera;[4][13][obsolete source] however, As of April 2025 the World Odonata List retains these as distinct genera.[6]

Species

List of the 28 species accepted by the World Odonata List:[6]

Extant species

Male Female Scientific name Common name Distribution
File:Bekkohtombo0905.jpg File:Libellula angelina DSC 6755.jpg Libellula angelina Selys, 1883 bekko tombo North China, Japan
File:Golden-winged Skimmer. Libellula auripennis (37984929001).jpg File:Libellula auripennis P1010310a.jpg Libellula auripennis Burmeister, 1839 golden-winged skimmer North and Central America
File:Bar-winged Skimmer (male) - Libellula axilena, Bles Park, Ashburn, Virginia - 7680753076.jpg File:Bar-winged Skimmer female poss. Libellula axilena (38788407721).jpg Libellula axilena Westwood, 1837 bar-winged skimmer North America
Libellula coahuiltecana

Ortega-Salas & González-Soriano, 2015

Coahuila Skimmer Mexico (Coahuila)[14]
File:Comanche Skimmer - Libellula comanche, Bitter Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Roswell, New Mexico - 7300107892.jpg Libellula comanche Calvert, 1907 Comanche skimmer Central America and North America
File:Libellula composita 20626003.jpg Libellula composita (Hagen, 1873) bleached skimmer North America
File:SKIMMER, NEON (Libellula croceipennis) (9-20-10) pat lake state park, scc, az -06 (5010026362).jpg File:LibellulaCroceipennis 6489.JPG Libellula croceipennis

Selys, 1869

neon skimmer North and Central America
File:Spangled Skimmer - Libellula cyanea, Mason Neck West, Mason Neck, Virginia - 27244000450.jpg File:Spangled Skimmer - Libellula cyanea (5809462162).jpg Libellula cyanea Fabricius, 1775 spangled skimmer United States of America
File:Broad-bodied chaser dragonfly (Libellula depressa) male.jpg File:Broad-bodied chaser (Libellula depressa) female.jpg Libellula depressa Linnaeus, 1758 broad-bodied chaser Europe, West Asia
File:Libellula flavida (53608014529).jpg File:Yellow-sided Skimmer - Libellula flavida, Patuxent National Wildlife Refuge, Maryland.jpg Libellula flavida Rambur, 1842 yellow-sided skimmer North America
Libellula foliata (Kirby, 1889) Mexico (Chiapas)
File:Eight-spotted Skimmer 01.jpg File:Eight-spotted Skimmer.jpg Libellula forensis Hagen, 1861 eight-spotted skimmer Western United States and Canada
File:LibellulaFulvaMale3.jpg File:Scarce chaser (Libellula fulva) immature female 1.jpg Libellula fulva Müller, 1764 scarce chaser Europe
Libellula gaigei Gloyd, 1938 Red-mantled Skimmer Mexico, United States (Texas)
File:Libellula herculea 43250345.jpg File:Hercules Skimmer (Libellula herculea) female (38834618900).jpg Libellula herculea Karsch, 1889 Hercules Skimmer Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Paraguay, El Salvador, and Venezuela
File:Slaty Skimmer - Flickr - treegrow.jpg File:Libellula incesta P1160990a.jpg Libellula incesta Hagen, 1861 slaty skimmer eastern United States and southern Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick
File:Libellula jesseana gaudettelaura 19138517.jpg Libellula jesseana Williamson, 1922 purple skimmer United States (Florida)
File:Widow Skimmer (2671910115).jpg File:6. Widow skimmer (Libellula luctuosa), female, Houston County.jpg Libellula luctuosa Burmeister, 1839 widow skimmer United States, Canada (southern Ontario and Quebec)
Libellula mariae Garrison, 1992 Maria's Skimmer Costa Rica
Libellula melli Schmidt, 1948 China
File:Needham's Skimmer Male - Flickr - treegrow (1).jpg File:Needham's Skimmer - Libellula needhami, Hidden Pond, Meadowwood SRMA, Va. - 5897894162.jpg Libellula needhami Westfall, 1943 Needham's skimmer Caribbean, Central America, and North America
File:SKIMMER, HOARY (libellula nodisticta) fem, cerro alto north ridge -5 (2579113944).jpg Libellula nodisticta Hagen, 1861 hoary skimmer Central America, North America, and South America
Libellula pontica Selys, 1887 red chaser Armenia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Syria, Turkey
File:Twelve Spotted Skimmer (Libellula Pulchella).jpg File:Twelve-spotted Skimmer (Libellula pulchella), Ottawa.jpg Libellula pulchella Drury, 1773 twelve-spotted skimmer southern Canada and contiguous United States states
File:Four-spotted Chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata) - Oslo, Norway 2020-08-04 (01).jpg File:Vierfleck (48007355777).jpg Libellula quadrimaculata Linnaeus, 1758 four-spotted chaser or four-spotted skimmer Europe and North America
File:Dragonfly Flame Skimmer 1.jpg File:SKIMMER, FLAME (Libellula saturata) (7-21-12) harshaw road, patagonia mts, scc, az -01 (7618191574).jpg Libellula saturata Uhler, 1857 flame skimmer Southwestern United States
File:Painted Skimmer dragonfly (5877415961).jpg File:Painted Skimmer - Libellula semifasciata, Patuxent National Wildlife Refuge, Laurel, Maryland - 9073469548.jpg Libellula semifasciata Burmeister, 1839 painted skimmer New Brunswick, Canada as far south as Texas and Florida
File:Great Blue Skimmer - Libellula vibrans, Leesylvania State Park, Woodbridge, Virginia - 7478444944.jpg File:Great Blue Skimmer, Libellula vibrans, old female (25117300107).jpg Libellula vibrans Fabricius, 1793 great blue skimmer eastern United States

Fossils

References

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  1. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Kirby, William Forsell (1890). "XIII. A Revision of the Subfamily Libellulinae, with Descriptions of New Genera and Species". Transactions of the Zoological Society of London. v.12 (1886-1890). Published for the Zoological Society of London by Academic Press: 284. ISSN 0084-5620. Retrieved 2026-03-20.
  2. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Needham, James G.; Minter J. Westfall Jr; Michael L. May (2000). Dragonflies of North America (rev. ed.). Gainesville, FL: Scientific Publishers. pp. 700–702. ISBN 0-945417-94-2.
  3. ^ a b c d e Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Garrison, Rosser (2006). Dragonfly Genera of the New World. Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-9178-6.
  4. ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Carle, Frank Louis; Kjer, Karl M. (2002-10-24). "Phylogeny of Libellula Linnaeus (Odonata: Insecta)". Zootaxa. 87 (1). doi:10.11646/zootaxa.87.1.1. ISSN 1175-5334.
  5. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Mccauley, Shannon J. (2008). "Slow, fast and in between: habitat distribution and behaviour of larvae in nine species of libellulid dragonfly". Freshwater Biology. 53 (2): 253–263. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2427.2007.01889.x. hdl:2027.42/72093. ISSN 1365-2427.
  6. ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Anisozygoptera & Anisoptera". University of Puget Sound. Retrieved 2026-03-20.
  7. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Archived from the original on 2025-04-15. Retrieved 2025-11-17.
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Wissinger, Scott A. (April 1989). "Comparative population ecology of the dragonflies Libellula lydia and Libellula luctuosa (Odonata: Libellulidae)". Canadian Journal of Zoology. 67 (4): 931–936. doi:10.1139/z89-135. ISSN 0008-4301.
  9. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Rebora, M.; Piersanti, S.; Gaino, E. (2004-04-01). "Visual and mechanical cues used for prey detection by the larva of Libellula depressa (Odonata: Libellulidae)". Ethology Ecology & Evolution. 16 (2): 133–144. doi:10.1080/08927014.2004.9522642. ISSN 0394-9370.
  10. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Pezalla, Virginia Moyle (1979). "Behavioral Ecology of the Dragonfly Libellula pulchella Drury (Odonata: Anisoptera)". The American Midland Naturalist. 102 (1): 1–22. doi:10.2307/2425062. ISSN 0003-0031.
  11. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Boano, Giovanni; Rolando, Antonio (2003-01-01). "Aggressive interactions and demographic parameters in Libellula fulva (Odonata, Libellulidae)". Italian Journal of Zoology. 70 (2): 159–166. doi:10.1080/11250000309356510. ISSN 1125-0003.
  12. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Definition of Libellula".
  13. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Kambhampati, Srinivas; Charlton, Ralph E. (1999). "Phylogenetic relationship among Libellula, Ladona and Plathemis (Odonata: Libellulidae) based on DNA sequence of mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene". Systematic Entomology. 24 (1): 37–49. Bibcode:1999SysEn..24...37K. doi:10.1046/j.1365-3113.1999.00066.x. S2CID 83165475.
  14. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Ortega-Salas, Héctor; González-Soriano, Enrique (2015-10-12). "A new species of Libellula Linnaeus, 1758, from the Cuatro Ciénegas basin, Coahuila, México (Anisoptera: Libellulidae)". Zootaxa. 4028 (4): 589–594. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4028.4.10. ISSN 1175-5334.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The Paleobiology Database". Archived from the original on 2022-03-25. Retrieved 2024-11-18.

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