Sunday, September 26, 2010

Widow Skimmer

The widow skimmer dragonfly is a member of the skimmer family. It can be found through out most of the summer around permanent ponds, lakes, and marshes. Usually you see them perched on the end of stick, reed or weed waiting to ambush its prey.
This is a mature male widow skimmer. Mature males can be identified by the white bands on the wings and the blue grey abdomen. Immature males look similar to females with just the black stripes on the wings and a yellow and black abdomen. As they age the abdomen of the male is coated with a dusky powdering substance called pruinose which gives it the color that you see in the photos above.

10 comments:

Trish ~ ♥ ~ said...

Great shots, I haven't had much success while shooting dragonflies.

joco said...

How very unusual.
You are lucky to have such diversity around you.

Kala said...

Wonderful details and DoF

Maaike said...

what a pretty dragonfly
never seen one like him

Tammie Lee said...

wonderful captures!

Anonymous said...

Dragonflies always *look* so primaeval to me. I really like them.
Great shots - crystal clear.

Mary Howell Cromer said...

The skimmer is a handsome one and your macro Monday image is really beautiful, it should be a little larger on here, so delightful it is~

margie said...

curious name! great macros.

"Lillagul" said...

Great macros on the Widow Skimmer dragonfly !!!
I still haven´t succeded to take any photos on any kind of Dragonfly :(
They move way to fast for me :)

Lisa Gordon said...

Beautiful!