Dragonfly
Widow Skimmer
Libellula luctuosa
Wings dipped in ink and dusted with chalk.
Least ConcernIUCN status
35.0km/h top speed
7.5cm wingspan
4.8cm body length
0.5years lifespan
Speed against a 60 km/h scale — the ceiling for the fastest dragonflies.
Broad brown-black bands cross the base of each wing; mature males add a chalky white bloom beyond them, so the whole insect flickers in flight.
Habitat. Ponds and quiet lake edges, eastern and central North America
Posts featuring Widow Skimmer
💠 Dragonfly Field Notes
Field Notes: A Pond in June, Hour by Hour
Nothing rare, nothing dramatic. Just a small pond, one warm day, and everything that happened over it.
💠 Dragonfly Field Notes
Compound Eyes With 30,000 Facets, and Almost No Blind Spot
A dragonfly's head is mostly eye, and its eye is mostly a targeting computer.