The flame skimmer or firecracker skimmer (''Libellula saturata'') is a common

dragonfly A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of dragonflies are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threat ...

of the family

Libellulidae The chasers, darters, skimmers, and perchers and their relatives form the Libellulidae, the largest family of dragonflies. It is sometimes considered to contain the Corduliidae as the subfamily Corduliinae and the Macromiidae as the subfamily M ...

, native to western North America.

Description

Male flame skimmers are known for their entirely red or dark orange body, this includes eyes, legs, and even wing veins. Females are usually a medium or darker brown with some thin, yellow markings. This particular type of skimmer varies in size but is generally measured somewhere between long. The naiads are known for being rather large and chubby-looking due to their rounded abdomen. They are covered with hair but, unlike most young dragonflies, they lack hooks or spines. File:Flame Skimmer (Libellula saturata), male, dragonfly.jpg, side view File:SKIMMER, FLAME (libellula saturata) (7-1-08) cerro alto -09 (2629110239).jpg, side view female

Location

Due to its choice habitat of warm ponds, streams, or

hot springs A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a Spring (hydrology), spring produced by the emergence of Geothermal activity, geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow ...

, flame skimmers are found mainly in the southwestern part of the United States. They also make their homes in public gardens or backyards.

Feeding habits

An immature flame skimmer (

nymph A nymph (; ; sometimes spelled nymphe) is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore. Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, land ...

) feeds mainly on aquatic insects. Its diet consists of mosquito larvae, aquatic fly larvae, mayfly larvae,

freshwater shrimp Freshwater shrimp are any shrimp which live in fresh water. This includes: *Any Caridea (shrimp) which live in fresh water, especially the family Atyidae *Species in the genus '' Macrobrachium'' :*'' Macrobrachium ohione'', the Ohio River shrimp :* ...

, small fish, and tadpoles. The nymphs, which live in the mud at the bottom of warm streams or ponds, catch their prey by waiting patiently for it to pass by. Adult skimmers usually feed on moths, flies, ants, or any other soft-bodied insect while waiting perched on a small rock or twig or while flying through the air.

Reproduction

Breeding for flame skimmers occurs during their flight season from May to September. Males compete with other males for prime breeding locations and females.Mason, Jim. "Dragonflies & Damselflies.
Great Plains Nature Center.
, March 13, 2008 After mating, the male and female separate, and the female flies off alone to lay her eggs. She does this by hovering above small streams or ponds and dipping the end of her abdomen into the water. Often she deposits her eggs in many different places in order to prevent the naiads from using each other as a source of food. File:Flame skimmer (8539448063).jpg, Male flame skimmer

References

* * Mason, Jim. "Dragonflies & Damselflies.

March 13, 2008 * Sabet-Peyman, Jason. "Introduction to the Odonata." University of California Museum of Paleontology

March 13, 2008

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q142619 Libellulidae Odonata of North America Insects of Mexico Insects of the United States Fauna of the Western United States Fauna of the California chaparral and woodlands Fauna of the Mojave Desert Fauna of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Fauna of the Sonoran Desert Insects described in 1857 Taxa named by Philip Reese Uhler