Libellula needhami

Libellula needhami, or Needham's skimmer, is a species of skimmer in the family of dragonflies known as Libellulidae.^[2][3][4][5] It is found in the Bahamas, Cuba, Mexico, and the United States.^[2]

Libellula needhami
Female
Male
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Odonata
Infraorder:	Anisoptera
Family:	Libellulidae
Genus:	Libellula
Species:	L. needhami
Binomial name
Libellula needhami Westfall, 1943

The IUCN conservation status of Libellula needhami is "LC", least concern, with no immediate threat to the species' existence. The population is stable.^[1][6]

The species is named after the American entomologist James George Needham.^[7][8]

Description

Males have a red face, while females have a brown or yellow face.^[8]

This species can be separated from the very similar Libellula auripennis by the following:

• their posterior (rear) wing veins do not become orange^[8]
• their costa changes color on opposite sides of the node: outer half is lighter, inner half is darker^[9]
• their hind tibia are brown, not black^[9]