Twelve-Spotted SkimmerLibellula pulchella
Quick facts
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Active during
- Midday
- Found in
- Pollywog Cove
- Length
- 2.2 in
- Wingspan
- 2.5 in
From the field notes
Diet
As underwater nymphs, they snatch up mosquito larvae from the muddy bottom. When they reach adulthood, they hunt gnats, mosquitoes, and flies right out of the air, making them excellent pest controllers.
Defense
Their massive eyes can see in almost every direction at once, allowing them to spot predators long before they get too close. Their incredible flying speed makes them masters of the quick escape.
Territories
Males are fiercely protective of their favorite summer ponds, aggressively patrolling for rivals. Rather than migrating for winter, the next generation overwinters locally as aquatic nymphs hidden in the mud.
Transformation
When the underwater nymph is ready to become an adult, it climbs up a reed out of the water. The nymph breaks out of its old shell, leaving behind a ghost-like, golden casing (called an exuvia) still clinging to the stem.
Field Marks
Their name comes from the twelve brown spots on their wings. Most distinctively, mature males turn blue with bright white spots between the brown ones. Females and immature males remain a golden-brown color.