Stats

Lifespan

1-2 years

Size

Large

Diet

Insectivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

Solitary

Biome

Freshwater wetland

Range

North America

Movement

Flight

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Speed

Status

Common

About

The twelve-spotted skimmer is a common North American dragonfly, found in southern Canada and in all 48 of the contiguous U.S. states. These dragonflies are extremely fast fliers, with a wingspan of up to 4 inches.

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.

Learn more

• View on iNaturalist →

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Odonata

Family

Libellulidae

Genus

Libellula

Species

Libellula pulchella