Stats

Lifespan

A few months

Size

Medium

Diet

Insectivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

Solitary

Biome

Freshwater wetland

Range

North America

Movement

Flight

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Speed

Status

Uncommon

About

A golden-amber dragonfly of marshes and ponds across the southeastern United States, the Caribbean, and Central America, whose males develop a striking orange-veined wash across the wing bases as they mature, echoing the related but paler Golden-winged Skimmer they're often confused with.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   egg

   A small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   An immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
3. 3.
   subadult

   A near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
4. 4.
   adult

   Fully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Odonata

Family

Libellulidae

Genus

Libellula

Species

Libellula needhami