LIBELLULA . 219 
43. LiBELLULA Linnaeus 
The Skimmers 
These are among the best known of our larger dragonflies for they 
are familiar figures in the air above every pond in the summer time. 
The body is stout and more or less pubescent. The abdomen gradually 
tapers to rearward from somewhat swollen base. The wings exhibit a 
great variety of color pattern in the different species. The stigma is 
always rather large, surmounting a number of cells in the first radial 
space. The sectors of the arculus are not stalked; the bridge subtends 
several cross veins; vein M;, is strongly undulate; the anal loop is 
rather narrow and with a sigmoid curvature. 
The nymphs are squat, hairy creatures that sprawl amid the bottom 
silt. The eyes are very prominent capping the front angles of the head. 
The border of the middle lobe of the labrum is smooth. Dorsal hooks 
and lateral spines are small or wanting or well nigh lost in tufts of 
coarse hairs. 
The Known Nymphs 
Species Length lea = oo Described by 
auripennis 27 3 or 4-5 5 8-10 Ndm. ’01, p. 533 
axillena 22 4-8 5 12-13 Ndm. ’03, p. 273 
cyanea 20 4-8 6 8-9 Ndm. ’01, p. 534 
flavida 17(?) 4-8 8 12-13 Ndm. ’03, p. 224 
forensis 24 weak 3-7 6 8 Ndm. ’04, p. 706 
incesta 21 4-8 5 9 Byers ’27, p. 113 
luctuosa 25 4-8 10-11 7 Ndm. ’01, p. 534 
pulchella 26 Oorr 8-9 12-13 Ndm. ’01, p. 536 
quardimaculata 26 obscure if 13 Ndm. ’01, p. 535 
3-S8ron 8 
saturata 26 0 9-10 11-12 Ndm. ’04, p. 705 
This large genus is mainly holarctic with its center of distribution 
in the United States. Our species may be separated as follows: 
KEY TO THE SPECIES 
Adults 
1 Wings reddish without brown markings (except stigma)....... 2 
Wings golden without brown markings (except stigma)........3. 
Wings with broad blackish band covering basal third.......... 
Va gett Maced bes, ARO Ried Soe eee Cee mares cer? luctuosa, p. 221 
Wits hyaline, or spotted, or streaked with brown........... 4, 
