Slaty Skimmer

Libellula incesta

The Slaty Skimmer is a beautiful dragonfly with shiny blue wings. It loves to fly around ponds and lakes, where it catches tiny insects to eat.

Hábitat: Wetlands

Aspecto

The Slaty Skimmer is a medium to large dragonfly, known for its deep, powdery blue-gray body in mature males, giving it a 'slaty' appearance. Immature males and females are a dull yellowish-brown. Its wings have notably dark veins and often a faint dark streak at the base of the hindwings.

ReinoAnimaliaFiloArthropodaClaseInsectaOrdenOdonataFamiliaLibellulidaeGéneroLibellula

Slaty Skimmer

Categoría

Insectos

Rareza

Common

Peligro

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Snaps

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Datos interesantes

Baby Slaty Skimmers live underwater for up to two years before transforming!

Dragonflies can move each of their four wings independently, allowing for incredible flight tricks!

Sometimes, they'll perch on warm rocks to soak up sunshine and get energized!

Their large compound eyes have thousands of tiny lenses for amazing all-around vision!

Habilidades especiales

Slaty Skimmer can catch flying insects mid-air using its keen eyesight and agile flight, helping them secure food.

Slaty Skimmer has special pruinescence that turns its body from brown to powdery blue-gray, signaling its readiness to mate.

Slaty Skimmer larvae live underwater and munch on mosquito larvae, helping to keep aquatic environments healthy.

Slaty Skimmer larvae can camouflage themselves in pond muck, quickly ambushing prey that swims too close.

Medidas y detalles

Envergadura: 70-86 mm
Tamaño: 45-58 mm
Esperanza de vida: 30-180 días
Velocidad de vuelo: 45 km/h
Cantidad de patas: 6

Dieta y alimentación

These speedy hunters snatch up smaller insects right out of the air for a tasty meal!

Diferencias por edad: Larvae (nymphs) are aquatic ambush predators, eating insect larvae and small aquatic creatures; adults hunt flying insects.

Alimentos principales

Mosquitoes
Flies
Midges
Smaller moths
Gnats

Método de búsqueda

Pursuit

Conexiones ecológicas

hunts

Common House Mosquito

Culex pipiens

Larvae actively hunt and eat their aquatic larvae.

eaten by

American Bullfrog

Lithobates catesbeianus

Adult Slaty Skimmers are prey for larger frogs.

eaten by

Eastern Kingbird

Tyrannus tyrannus

Birds catch adult dragonflies in mid-air.

hunts

Fruit Fly

Drosophila melanogaster

Adults actively pursue and eat small flying insects.

Rasgos

Aéreo

Las criaturas aéreas pasan una parte importante de su vida en el aire, utilizando el vuelo para diversas actividades como la caza, la migración o la anidación.

Colorido

Colorido describe a organismos u objetos que exhiben una amplia variedad de colores brillantes y distintivos.

Insectívoro

Este rasgo identifica a los organismos cuya dieta consiste principalmente en insectos y otros pequeños invertebrados.

Humedal

Este rasgo de hábitat identifica especies que se encuentran en humedales, que son áreas de tierra saturadas de agua, ya sea permanente o estacionalmente, e incluyen marismas, pantanos y ciénagas.