Full lateral View

Female Face


Lateral View of Thorax and Abdomen


Dorsal View of Thorax

Close-up of Thorax and First Two Segments

Appendages

Photo Details - ©Nicky Davis  Located at James Walter Fitzgerald Wild Bird Refuge, Tooele County, Utah, 9 August 2010 Dennis Paulson verified identification "Skimmers don't have ovipositors, but they have a genital opening in the back of segment 8 which is bordered by a pair of subgenital plates or vulvar laminae.  They are variously developed, and in species in which they are quite large, they support a ball of eggs before they are laid.   A good rule of themb is that if you can't see male genitalia, it isn't a male.  Females of most skimmers have abdomens that are less tapered to a point  than in males." Characteristics - Male has pruinose abdomen Female brown body with  yellow side dashes Thorax has two yellow stripes on dorsal and two on each side Females and immatures have a stripe at the wing base, a band at the nodus and another at inner side of the stigma In males the space between nodus band and the outer band fills in with  slightly lighter brown and inner wing may turn white Tip of wings are clear Face is yellow This one is 1 1/2"  long with a 2 inch wing span Back to Top