widow skimmer

(Libellula luctuosa)

Conservation Status
widow skimmer
Photo by Lawrence J. Waldhauser
  IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

 
  NatureServe

N5 - Secure

SNR - Unranked

 
  Minnesota

not listed

 
           
           
           
 
Description
 
 

 

 
     
 

Size

 
 

Total length: 113 16

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
     
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Ponds, marshes, lakes, and streams.

 
     
 
Biology
 
 

Season

 
 

Early April to mid-October

 
     
 

Behavior

 
 

 

 
     
 

Life Cycle

 
 

 

 
     
 

Naiad Food

 
 

 

 
     
 

Adult Food

 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

7, 17, 18, 24, 27, 29, 30, 82.

 
  8/28/2022      
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
 

Order

Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies)  
 

Suborder

Epiprocta  
  Infraorder Anisoptera (dragonflies)  
 

Superfamily

Libelluloidea  
 

Family

Libellulidae (skimmers)  
 

Genus

Libellula (king skimmers)  
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

 

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

widow skimmer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Visitor Photos
 
           
 

Share your photo of this insect.

 
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Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
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Cindy Beane

 
 

saw two in our vegetable (weed) garden.

 
    widow skimmer   widow skimmer  
 

Theresa Zaske

 
    widow skimmer      
 

Alfredo Colon

 
    widow skimmer   widow skimmer  
 

Lynn Rubey

 
 

Female Widow Skimmer resting on its perch along the river in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge.

 
    widow skimmer      
 

Lawrence J. Waldhauser

 
    widow skimmer   widow skimmer  
 

Laura Baxley

 
    widow skimmer      
 

Kirk Nelson

 
 

Female widow skimmer

 
    widow skimmer      
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

Male

 
    widow skimmer   widow skimmer  
           
    widow skimmer   widow skimmer  
           
  Female  
    widow skimmer   widow skimmer  
           
    widow skimmer   widow skimmer  

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
Widow Skimmer
DianesDigitals
  Widow Skimmer  
 
About

Copyright DianesDigitals

 
Libellula luctuosa (Widow Skimmer)
Allen Chartier
  Libellula luctuosa (Widow Skimmer)  
Widow Skimmer
Victor Fazio
  Widow Skimmer  
 
About

Records of Libellula luctuosa (Widow Skimmer).

 

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

Share your video of this insect.

 
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Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Attach a video, a YouTube link, or a cloud storage link.
 
 

Dan W. Andree

 
  "Widow and Twelve-spotted Skimmer dragonfly"
Aug 11, 2016
 
   
 
About

Two dragonflies somewhat similar in color but quite different overall. This video shows some differences between a Widow and a Twelve-spotted Skimmer. Both were adult males. Somewhat similar in size though the Twelve-spotted is a little larger of the two.

   
       
 
Other Videos
 
  Widow Skimmer Dragonfly (Libellulidae: Libellula luctuosa) Female on Stick
Carl Barrentine
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Jul 2, 2011

Photographed at the Rydell NWR, Minnesota (29 June 2011). Thank you to John and Jane Balaban (@Bugguide.net) for confirming the identity and sex of this species!

 
  Widow Skimmer (Libellulidae: Libellula luctuosa) on Stem
Carl Barrentine
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Jul 11, 2009

Photographed at the Rydell NWR, Minnesota (11 July 2009).

 
  Widow Skimmer
Stoil Ivanov
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Jul 3, 2011

Widow Skimmer ( Libellula luctuosa ) male first than female filmed at Goose Lake Prairie Illinois 7-03-2011.

 
  Widow Skimmer Dragonfly on June 28, 2013
Basicbill's Outdoor and Travel Channel
 
   
 
About

Published on Jul 2, 2013

A male Widow Skimmer Dragonfly at the Bluff Fen Nature Preserve in Elgin, Illinois.

 

 

Camcorder

 
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

Report a sighting of this insect.

 
  This button not working for you?
Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Be sure to include a location.
 
  Cindy Beane
7/2/2023

Location: Collinwood Twp, Meeker Co.

saw two in our vegetable (weed) garden.

widow skimmer  
  Theresa Zaske
8/27/2022

Location: Rock Lake Township just north of Balaton

widow skimmer  
  Alfredo Colon
10/16/2019

Location: Woodbury, MN

widow skimmer  
  Lynn Rubey
8/3/2019

Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge

Female Widow Skimmer resting on its perch along the river in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge.

widow skimmer  
  Laura Baxley
7/11/2018

Location: Hole-in-the-Mountain Prairie

widow skimmer  
  Kirk Nelson
6/12/2016

Location: Fort Snelling State Park

Female widow skimmer

widow skimmer  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
 

Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Park

Blue Mounds State Park

Bunker Hills Regional Park

Butternut Valley Prairie SNA

Camden State Park

Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center

Carver Park Reserve

Cedar Mountain SNA

Cedar Rock SNA

Clear Lake SNA

Cottonwood River Prairie SNA

Crosby Farm Regional Park

Des Moines River SNA

Falls Creek SNA

Flandrau State Park

Franconia Bluffs SNA

Frontenac State Park

Glynn Prairie SNA

Hastings SNA

Hole-in-the-Mountain Prairie

Holthe Prairie SNA

Hyland Lake Park Reserve

Hythecker Prairie SNA

Iron Horse Prairie SNA

Jensen Memorial WMA

Joseph A. Tauer Prairie SNA

Kasota Prairie SNA

Kilen Woods State Park

Lake Carlos State Park

Lake Elmo Park Reserve

Lake Louise State Park

Lake Maria State Park

Lake Rebecca Park Reserve

Lebanon Hills Regional Park

Maplewood State Park

Mary Schmidt Crawford Woods SNA

Mille Lacs Kathio State Park

Mille Lacs Moraine SNA

Minneopa State Park

Minnesota Valley NWR, Rapids Lake Unit

Mississippi River County Park

Myre-Big Island State Park

Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Touch the Sky Prairie Unit

Ordway Prairie

Oronoco Prairie SNA

Oxbow Park & Zollman Zoo

P.N. and G.M. Nelson Wildlife Sanctuary

Phelps Lake WMA

Pine Bend Bluffs SNA

Regal Meadow

Rice Lake State Park

River Warren Outcrops SNA

St. Croix Savanna SNA

Sand Prairie Wildlife Management and Environmental Education Area

Savage Fen SNA

Split Rock Creek State Park

Spring Lake Park Reserve

Springbrook Nature Center

Swedes Forest SNA

Uncas Dunes SNA

Vermillion River WMA

Whitetail Woods Regional Park

Wild River State Park

Woodbury WMA

 

 

 

Binoculars


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