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LinkedInPosts Tagged: Libellula saturata
First Flameskimmer of the Year
It was a little late. The first flameskimmer of the year usually arrives in our yard in early April. Not this year. The species, Libellula saturata, was late. The easily recognized red dragonfly, also known as "the firecracker skimmer," touched down in our yard today,...
A flameskimmer, Libellula saturata, perches on a bamboo stick in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Another view of the flameskimmer, Libellula saturata. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
'My Old Flame' Returns
"My old flame" returned Saturday, July 2. A strong north wind aided him. It wasn't the "old flame" from last year, but a new generation. Still, what a beauty of a dragonfly--a red flameskimmer or firecracker skimmer (Libellula saturata), native to Western North America. Big Red perched on...
A red flameskimmer or firecracker skimmer (Libellula saturata) perches on a tomato stake in a Vacaville pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A strong north wind engulfs the red flameskimmer, turning his wings into head gear. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Big Red, the flameskimmer, agrees to another portrait. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
What's on the menu? Big Red, the flameskimmer, returns to his perch to eats his lunch. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Don't Get the Red Out
You don't want to "get the red out" when a flameskimmer dragonfly visits your garden. You want to let Big Red to stay in. This male flameskimmer hung out in our pollinator garden in Vacaville on July 3 for a little over five hours. He perched on a bamboo stake, periodically circled to...
A male flameskimmer, Libellula saturata, perches on a bamboo stake in a Vacaville garden. In back is a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Looking like a biplane, a male flameskimmer, Libellula saturata, peers at the photographer. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Like a Lens to a Flame
It's a delight to see the flameskimmer dragonfly (Libellula saturata). This male made its appearance in our Vacaville pollinator garden on May 17, and hung around long enough for me to capture several images. Like a lens to a flame... When folks talk about seeing "a red dragonfly,"...
The male flameskimmer dragonfly (Libellula saturata) is firecracker red. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A different angle, but the same gorgeous flameskimmer. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
How Magical Are the Dragonflies
How magical are the dragonflies. They zig-zag through the pollinator garden, a perfect portrait of a predator: multifaceted eyes, strong wings, and mouthparts that include a toothed jaw and flap like labrium. They're an ancient insect: scientists have found fossil dragonflies that date back 325...
This is a male flameskimmer, Libellula saturata, photographed in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Close-up of a firecracker red flameskimmer, Libellula saturata. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Dinner time! A red flameskimmer, Libellula saturata, munches on a bee, probably a longhorned bee, Melissodes agilis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
