Best Libellulidae

Pantala flavescens, commonly known as the globe skimmer, is a species of dragonfly recognized for its extensive global distribution. It is found on every continent except Antarctica, making it the most widespread dragonfly species in the world. The insect is capable of long-distance transoceanic mig...

The Roseate Skimmer (Orthemis ferruginea) is a dragonfly species in the family Libellulidae, native to the Americas and distributed from the southern United States through Central and South America. Mature males display a distinctive deep magenta to purple coloration on the abdomen, while females an...

Celithemis eponina, the Halloween pennant, is a dragonfly of the skimmer family Libellulidae native to eastern North America, ranging from southern Canada to Florida and west to the Great Plains. It is named for its orange-and-black wing markings, which suggest the colors associated with Halloween....

Rhyothemis graphiptera, known as the Graphic Flutterer, is a dragonfly in the family Libellulidae found across northern and eastern Australia. Its broad wings bear dark brown or black bands and patches, giving it a butterfly-like appearance in flight. The species frequents still waters such as ponds...

Rhyothemis variegata is a dragonfly species in the family Libellulidae, commonly known as the common picture wing or variegated flutterer. The species was originally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1763 and is distributed across South and Southeast Asia, including India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Indon...

The Flame Skimmer (Libellula saturata) is a large dragonfly native to the western regions of the United States. It is particularly notable for the male's striking appearance, which features an entirely brick-red body and vivid orange wing veins. These insects typically inhabit ponds, streams, and wa...

The Crimson Dropwing (Trithemis aurora) is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae, widespread throughout tropical and subtropical Asia. The mature male is known for its striking bright purple or crimson-red coloration on the abdomen and thorax, while females and immature males are yellowi...

The Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa) is a species of dragonfly widely distributed across Europe and parts of Asia. It is easily identifiable by its conspicuously flattened and widened abdomen, which in mature males develops a powdery blue pruinescence, while females typically retain a yellow...

Trithemis aurora, commonly known as the crimson marsh glider, is a dragonfly species first described by Hermann Burmeister in 1839. It belongs to the family Libellulidae and is widely distributed across tropical and subtropical Asia. Mature males display the distinctive bright crimson coloration ref...

The Pied Parasol (Neurothemis tullia) is a small dragonfly belonging to the family Libellulidae, commonly found across South and Southeast Asia. The mature male is easily identifiable by the extensive, opaque dark brown or black markings that cover the outer half of its wings, giving it a parasol-li...

The Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia) is a widespread dragonfly of the skimmer family, Libellulidae, native to North America. Mature males are highly recognizable by their broad, dark wing bands and a distinct, chalky white abdomen. Females and immature males look quite different, featuring brown a...

The Seaside Dragonlet is a dragonfly in the family Libellulidae, recognized as the only North American dragonfly species that breeds in saline coastal habitats. It is found in salt marshes and mangrove swamps along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. The species is relatively small an...

The Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata) is a dragonfly of the family Libellulidae, widely distributed across much of Africa. The mature male is recognized by its vivid violet-blue coloration, while females display a more subdued brown or orange hue. The species has experienced a rapid range expansi...

Rhyothemis fuliginosa is a dragonfly species in the family Libellulidae, first described by Edmond de Selys Longchamps in 1883. The species is distributed across East Asia, with populations recorded in Japan, China, Korea, and Vietnam. Adults are recognized by their broad, dark wings that exhibit bl...

The Yellow-striped Flutterer (Rhyothemis phyllis) is a species of dragonfly belonging to the family Libellulidae, widely distributed across Southeast Asia and parts of Australasia. As its common name suggests, the insect is distinguished by its broad, colorful wings and a distinctive, slow, butterfl...

Libellula depressa, commonly known as the broad-bodied chaser, is a dragonfly species first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Found throughout Europe and parts of Asia, this dragonfly is characterized by its distinctive flattened, widened abdomen, which is typically blue in males and yellowish-bro...

The Scarlet Dwarf (Nannophya pygmaea) is a species of dragonfly belonging to the family Libellulidae. It is widely distributed across Southeast Asia, China, Japan, and parts of Australia. This insect is widely recognized as the smallest known dragonfly species in the world, boasting a total wingspan...

The Fulvous Forest Skimmer (Neurothemis fulvia) is a dragonfly species found across parts of South and Southeast Asia, including India, China, and Indonesia. The adult male is distinguished by deep orange-brown coloration covering much of its wings, while females are paler and more translucent. The...

The Twelve-spotted Skimmer (Libellula pulchella) is a dragonfly species found across much of North America, from southern Canada to Mexico. It is named for the twelve black spots evenly distributed across its four wings. Mature males additionally develop white patches between the black spots, giving...

"Rhyothemis phyllis," commonly known as the Yellow-striped Flutterer, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae first described in 1776. It is widely distributed across tropical and subtropical Asia, extending to parts of Australia, where it commonly inhabits marshes, ponds, and open gras...

The Broad Scarlet (Crocothemis erythraea) is a medium-sized dragonfly of the Libellulidae family distributed across Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia. Mature males develop a bright red coloration and possess a distinctly broad, flattened abdomen, while females typically display yellowish-brown hues....

Sympetrum pedemontanum, commonly known as the banded darter, is a dragonfly of the Libellulidae family native to a broad range across Europe and Asia. It is easily identified by the broad, dark brown to black band crossing the middle of all four wings, a feature less prominent in other Sympetrum spe...

Libellula luctuosa, commonly known as the widow skimmer, is a species of dragonfly belonging to the family Libellulidae. It is native to North America, with a range extending across the United States and into parts of Canada and Mexico. The species exhibits notable sexual dimorphism; mature males de...

The Banded Groundling (Brachythemis leucosticta) is a dragonfly species in the family Libellulidae, found across much of sub-Saharan Africa and parts of the Middle East. It is medium-sized with distinctive dark bands across its wings and is known for its habit of perching on the ground or on low veg...

The Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) is a dragonfly species in the family Libellulidae native to eastern North America. Mature males develop a powdery blue pruinescence across the body, while females and immature males are predominantly green, a sexual dimorphism notable among North Ameri...

The Elfin Skimmer (Nannothemis bella) is a small dragonfly in the family Libellulidae and the smallest dragonfly species native to North America, with adults measuring roughly 20–25 millimeters in length. Males develop a powdery blue coloration on the abdomen, while females are patterned with yellow...

The Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata) is a dragonfly in the family Libellulidae native to North America. It is identifiable by broad, dark, saddle-shaped basal patches on the hind wings. This large, migratory species is commonly observed across ponds, lakes, and marshes and is also found in parts o...

The Painted Grasshawk (Neurothemis stigmatizans) is a dragonfly found in Southeast Asia and Australia, distinguished by its heavily pigmented, colorful wings.

The Neon Skimmer (Libellula croceipennis) is a large dragonfly of the family Libellulidae native to the southwestern United States and parts of Mexico. Mature males display vivid orange-red coloration across the abdomen and face, while females and immature males are typically brownish with lighter l...