Libellula
Genus of dragonflies
title: "Libellula" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["libellulidae", "anisoptera-genera", "odonata-of-asia", "odonata-of-europe", "odonata-of-north-america", "odonata-of-south-america", "animal-taxa-named-by-carl-linnaeus", "taxa-described-in-1758", "animal-migration"] description: "Genus of dragonflies" topic_path: "general/libellulidae" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libellula" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Genus of dragonflies ::
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| name = Skimmers | fossil_range = | image = Libellula depressa.jpg | image_caption = Broad-bodied chaser | taxon = Libellula | authority = Linnaeus, 1758 | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = See text | type_species = Libellula depressa
Libellula is a genus of dragonflies, called chasers (in England) or skimmers (in America), in the family Libellulidae. They are mainly distributed throughout the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. Many have showy wing patterns and brightly colored bodies.
Identification
These are medium to large dragonflies, 34-63 mm in length. The faces of these dragonflies can be white, yellow, red, brown, or black. Their bodies can be light yellow, orange, red, or brown, and the males often have a frost-like coating when mature. Wings of the Libellula genus often have yellow, orange, or brown patterns, or they can be completely clear.
Unique characteristics belonging only to the Libellula genus are not well defined. Many species or individual dragonflies have variations of these identifying traits. However, 4 synapomorphies are described, with 2 of them referring to the wing venation. The other 2 identifying features of the Libellula genus are a characteristic brown area at the base of the forewing and a wide abdomen.
Distribution and habitat
Libellula dragonflies are generally distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. A few species are endemic to Europe and Asia, but much of the diversity of this genus in North America. L. herculea is the only species with an extensive distribution in South America.
The adult Libellula are commonly found near bodies of water, perching or landing on reeds and branches. Larvae in the genus live exclusively in water, particularly in the muddy bottoms of still or slow-moving water bodies. Some species, like L. pulchella, can live in drinking tanks of well-water for cattle, along with their natural habitat of ponds and marshes.
Of the 27 species in the genus, 5 are currently listed on the IUCN Red List as threatened with extinction. L. angelina is listed as critically endangered, L. coahuiltecana is endangered, and L. jesseana is vulnerable. The other two species, L. mariae and L. pontica, are listed as near threatened.
Biology
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Exuvie_7578.jpg" caption="The shed exoskeleton of a Libellula nymph. The well-developed jaw used to catch prey can be seen to the left of the rest of the head."] ::
Eggs are laid by adult females directly into water bodies, which will hatch into aquatic nymphs. Libellula nymphs can compete for resources with other nymphs in their genus in a shared habitat. These nymphs can also cannibalize each other in high densities, and dragonflies are often the top predator in fishless water bodies. Species within Libellula are efficient predators, using mechanical and visual cues to release their developed labium and labial palpi to catch their prey.
Adult males in the Libellula genus can be territorial and aggressive. The territories they defend are ideal breeding sites, which are in sunlight and lacking surface vegetation. They fly around their territory and attack other male dragonflies to eliminate mating competition. The males are likely territorial due to the sex-ratio being biased towards males, meaning that there are more males than females.
Etymology
The genus name comes from Latin libella, meaning "a carpenter's level", because of the insect's ability to stay level when hovering.
Taxonomy
The taxa Ladona (corporals) and Plathemis (whitetails) have been considered as synonyms of Libellula, subgenera, or separate genera by different authorities. However, recent phylogenetic analysis using 16S rRNA sequence data and insect morphology has supported their status as subgenera of Libellula rather than independent genera.
Species
List of species.
Extant species
::data[format=table]
| Male | Female | Scientific name | Common name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [[File:Bekkohtombo0905.jpg | 120px]] | [[File:Libellula angelina DSC 6755.jpg | 120px]] | Libellula angelina Selys, 1883 |
| [[File:Golden-winged Skimmer. Libellula auripennis (37984929001).jpg | 120px]] | [[File:Libellula auripennis P1010310a.jpg | 120px]] | Libellula auripennis Burmeister, 1839 |
| [[File:Bar-winged Skimmer (male) - Libellula axilena, Bles Park, Ashburn, Virginia - 7680753076.jpg | 120px]] | [[File:Bar-winged Skimmer female poss. Libellula axilena (38788407721).jpg | 120px]] | Libellula axilena Westwood, 1837 |
| Libellula coahuiltecana | Coahuila Skimmer | last=Ortega-Salas | ||
| [[File:Comanche Skimmer - Libellula comanche, Bitter Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Roswell, New Mexico - 7300107892.jpg | 120px]] | Libellula comanche Calvert, 1907 | Comanche skimmer | |
| [[File:Libellula composita 20626003.jpg | 120px]] | Libellula composita (Hagen, 1873) | bleached skimmer | |
| [[File:SKIMMER, NEON (Libellula croceipennis) (9-20-10) pat lake state park, scc, az -06 (5010026362).jpg | 120px]] | [[File:LibellulaCroceipennis 6489.JPG | 120px]] | Libellula croceipennis |
| [[File:Spangled Skimmer - Libellula cyanea, Mason Neck West, Mason Neck, Virginia - 27244000450.jpg | 120px]] | [[File:Spangled Skimmer - Libellula cyanea (5809462162).jpg | 120px]] | Libellula cyanea Fabricius, 1775 |
| [[File:Broad-bodied chaser dragonfly (Libellula depressa) male.jpg | 120px]] | [[File:Broad-bodied chaser (Libellula depressa) female.jpg | 120px]] | Libellula depressa Linnaeus, 1758 |
| [[File:Libellula flavida (53608014529).jpg | 120x120px]] | [[File:Yellow-sided Skimmer - Libellula flavida, Patuxent National Wildlife Refuge, Maryland.jpg | 120px]] | Libellula flavida Rambur, 1842 |
| Libellula foliata (Kirby, 1889) | Mexico (Chiapas) | |||
| [[File:Eight-spotted Skimmer 01.jpg | 120px]] | [[File:Eight-spotted Skimmer.jpg | 120px]] | Libellula forensis Hagen, 1861 |
| [[File:LibellulaFulvaMale3.jpg | 120px]] | [[File:Scarce chaser (Libellula fulva) immature female 1.jpg | 120px]] | Libellula fulva Müller, 1764 |
| Libellula gaigei Gloyd, 1938 | Red-mantled Skimmer | Mexico, United States(Texas) | ||
| [[File:Libellula herculea 43250345.jpg | 120px]] | [[File:Hercules Skimmer (Libellula herculea) female (38834618900).jpg | 120px]] | Libellula herculea Karsch, 1889 |
| [[File:Slaty Skimmer - Flickr - treegrow.jpg | 120px]] | [[File:Libellula incesta P1160990a.jpg | 120px]] | Libellula incesta Hagen, 1861 |
| [[File:Libellula jesseana gaudettelaura 19138517.jpg | 120px]] | Libellula jesseana Williamson, 1922 | purple skimmer | |
| [[File:Widow Skimmer (2671910115).jpg | 120px]] | [[File:6. Widow skimmer (Libellula luctuosa), female, Houston County.jpg | 120px]] | Libellula luctuosa Burmeister, 1839 |
| Libellula mariae Garrison, 1992 | Maria's Skimmer | Costa Rica | ||
| Libellula melli Schmidt, 1948 | China | |||
| [[File:Needham's Skimmer Male - Flickr - treegrow (1).jpg | 120px]] | [[File:Needham's Skimmer - Libellula needhami, Hidden Pond, Meadowwood SRMA, Va. - 5897894162.jpg | 120px]] | Libellula needhami Westfall, 1943 |
| [[File:SKIMMER, HOARY (libellula nodisticta) fem, cerro alto north ridge -5 (2579113944).jpg | 120px]] | Libellula nodisticta Hagen, 1861 | hoary skimmer | |
| Libellula pontica Selys, 1887 | red chaser | Armenia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Syria, Turkey | ||
| [[File:Twelve Spotted Skimmer (Libellula Pulchella).jpg | 120px]] | [[File:Twelve-spotted Skimmer (Libellula pulchella), Ottawa.jpg | 120px]] | Libellula pulchella Drury, 1773 |
| [[File:Four-spotted Chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata) - Oslo, Norway 2020-08-04 (01).jpg | 120px]] | [[File:Vierfleck (48007355777).jpg | 120px]] | Libellula quadrimaculata Linnaeus, 1758 |
| [[File:Dragonfly Flame Skimmer 1.jpg | 120px]] | [[File:SKIMMER, FLAME (Libellula saturata) (7-21-12) harshaw road, patagonia mts, scc, az -01 (7618191574).jpg | 120px]] | Libellula saturata Uhler, 1857 |
| [[File:Painted Skimmer dragonfly (5877415961).jpg | 120px]] | [[File:Painted Skimmer - Libellula semifasciata, Patuxent National Wildlife Refuge, Laurel, Maryland - 9073469548.jpg | 120px]] | Libellula semifasciata Burmeister, 1839 |
| [[File:Great Blue Skimmer - Libellula vibrans, Leesylvania State Park, Woodbridge, Virginia - 7478444944.jpg | 120px]] | [[File:Great Blue Skimmer, Libellula vibrans, old female (25117300107).jpg | 120px]] | Libellula vibrans Fabricius, 1793 |
| :: |
''Ladona''
::data[format=table]
| Male | Female | Scientific name | Common name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [[File:Blue Corporal - Ladona deplanata, Meadowwood BMA, Virginia - 6849901205.jpg | 120px]] | [[File:Blue Corporal - Ladona deplanata, Meadowood SRMA, Mason Neck, Virginia.jpg | 120px]] | Ladona deplanata (Rambur, 1842) |
| [[File:Ladona exusta.jpg | 120x120px]] | Ladona exusta (Say, 1839) | white corporal | |
| [[File:Libelle 7 db.jpg | 120px]] | [[File:Chalk-fronted Corporal, female juvenile, side-view, Magnetawan River.jpg | 120px]] | Ladona julia (Uhler, 1857) |
| :: |
''Plathemis''
::data[format=table]
| Male | Female | Scientific name | Common name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [[File:Common Whitetail (4358417460).jpg | 120px]] | [[File:Common Whitetail Female - Flickr - treegrow.jpg | 120px]] | Plathemis lydia (Drury, 1770) |
| [[File:Desert Whitetail - Plathemis subornata, Bitter Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Roswell, New Mexico - 7299714954.jpg | 120px]] | Plathemis subornata (Hagen, 1861) | desert whitetail | |
| :: |
Fossils
- Libellula brodieri†
- Libellula calypso†
- Libellula doris †
- Libellula eusebioi†
- Libellula kieseli†
- Libellula martini†
- Libellula melobasis†
- Libellula pannewitziana†
- Libellula perse†
- Libellula sieboldiana†
- Libellula thetis†
- Libellula thoe†
- Libellula ukrainensis†
References
References
- Needham, James G.. (2000). "Dragonflies of North America (rev. ed.)". Scientific Publishers.
- Garrison, Rosser. (2006). "Dragonfly Genera of the New World". Johns Hopkins University Press.
- Carle, Frank Louis. (2002-10-24). "Phylogeny of Libellula Linnaeus (Odonata: Insecta)". Zootaxa.
- Mccauley, Shannon J.. (2008). "Slow, fast and in between: habitat distribution and behaviour of larvae in nine species of libellulid dragonfly". Freshwater Biology.
- "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species".
- Wissinger, Scott A.. (April 1989). "Comparative population ecology of the dragonflies Libellula lydia and Libellula luctuosa (Odonata: Libellulidae)". Canadian Journal of Zoology.
- Rebora, M.. (2004-04-01). "Visual and mechanical cues used for prey detection by the larva of Libellula depressa (Odonata Libellulidae)". Ethology Ecology & Evolution.
- Pezalla, Virginia Moyle. (1979). "Behavioral Ecology of the Dragonfly Libellula pulchella Drury (Odonata: Anisoptera)". The American Midland Naturalist.
- Boano, Giovanni. (2003-01-01). "Aggressive interactions and demographic parameters in Libellula fulva (Odonata, Libellulidae)". Italian Journal of Zoology.
- "Definition of LIBELLULA".
- Kambhampati, Srinivas. (1999). "Phylogenetic relationship among ''Libellula'', ''Ladona'' and ''Plathemis'' (Odonata: Libellulidae) based on DNA sequence of mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene". [[Systematic Entomology]].
- [http://www.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/odonata/anisoptera/libellulidae/libellula/index.html ''Libellula''], funet.fi
- Ortega-Salas, Héctor. (2015-10-12). "A new species of Libellula Linnaeus, 1758, from the Cuatro Ciénegas basin, Coahuila, México (Anisoptera: Libellulidae)". Zootaxa.
- "The Paleobiology Database".
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