northeast-flora-and-fauna

Here's yet another blue dragonfly, a Great Blue Skimmer  (in the proud footsteps of the Blue Dasher , Eastern Pondhawk , and Slaty Skimmer ). Although I've shown one of these before, that was likely a juvenile and really didn't show the blue that inspired their name.  IMHO this is a dragonfly that, especially when seen at a distance where size is difficult to determine, could be confused with the previously mentioned Blue Dasher. They're both dragonflies (as opposed to damselflies), the males have a light blue pruinose , they have small black stigmas on the front of their wings, and they have white faces. Here are some differences: Great Blue Skimmers are much larger dragonflies. Individuals vary in size, but you can expect Great Blue Skimmers to be between 20% and 120% bigger than Blue Dashers. (Side by side, you'd easily be able to tell them apart.) On most Blue Dashers, their pruinose doesn't extend all the way to the end of their abdomen, leaving the tip lo...

Here's a Great Blue Skimmer , or at least that's my best theory. Since the males have light blue abdomens while the females are instead brown, I believe that this is a juvenile. It certainly has the white face that's rare in our dragonflies, and has blue eyes that I'd expect to see (though the eyes are a paler blue in adults). Great Blue Skimmers are considered the largest skimmer that lives in NJ, though they're considered a little mellower than the typical skimmer. Fun fact: Great Blue Skimmers are not closely related to Great Blue Herons. 😀 June 17, 2021 at the Plainsboro Preserve Photo 141958903, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)