A dark blue dragonfly with black eyes perching on a plant stem. Slaty Skimmer Dragonfly. Libellula incesta.

Wild Facts About The Slaty Skimmer Dragonfly

ByChristine Wild Animals

How To Identify Slaty Skimmer Dragonflies

  • Slaty Skimmer dragonflies grow to:
    • 2 inches (52 mm) total body length.
    • 1.7 inches (42 mm) hind wing length.
  • Mature males have:
    • Dark eyes.
    • Black or metallic blue faces.
    • Solid, dark blue thoraxes and abdomens with little to no markings.
    • Clear wings except for black pterostigmas.
  • Female and immature Slaty Skimmer dragonflies have:
    • Red over gray eyes.
    • Pale faces that darken over time as they age.
    • Cream-colored thoraxes with wide, black shoulder stripes.
    • Black abdomens with yellow rectangular markings on the sides of abdominal segments S1 – S8.
  • Female Slaty Skimmers also have:
    • Yellow rectangles on S9.
    • Mostly clear wings with black pterostigmas and dark wing tips.

How To Find Slaty Skimmer Dragonflies

  • Look for Slaty Skimmer dragonflies near marshes, ponds, and slow-moving streams with muddy or mucky bottoms.
    • Male Slaty Skimmers are most likely to be found near the water.
    • Females stay farther inland unless ready to mate (Abbott 2015).
  • Male Slaty Skimmer dragonflies are territorial; they fly long patrols up and down the shoreline. When they spot encroaching dragonflies, they fly to intercept, circle the intruders a few times, then chase them off (Paulson 2011).
  • Female Slaty Skimmers fling their eggs along the shoreline or into open water.
    • A single female can lay more than 2000 eggs in a single session, even before she achieves her full adult coloration (Dunkle 2000).
Slaty Skimmer Dragonfly. Libellula incesta. Insect. Photograph taken by the author. Copyright © 2025 Now I Wonder. All rights reserved.
Slaty Skimmer Dragonfly Libellula incesta Insect Photograph taken by the author Copyright © 2025 Now I Wonder All rights reserved

Scientific Classification

Kingdom

Animalia (animals)

Phylum

Arthropoda (arthropods)

Class

Insecta (insects)

Order

Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies)

Family

Libellulidae (skimmers)

Genus

Libellula

Species

L. incesta

Scientific Name

Libellula incesta

Slaty Skimmer Dragonfly Photo Gallery

Browse All Animals

A – Z By Common Name A – Z By Scientific Name

Browse By Type Of Animal

Amphibians Birds Insects Mammals Other Animals Reptiles Spiders

Browse By Animal Group

Alligators Beetles Butterflies And Moths Caterpillars Dragonflies And Damselflies Frogs And Toads Grasshoppers And Related Insects Landbirds Lizards Mammals Other Animals Raptors And Owls Salamanders Snakes Songbirds Spiders True Bugs Turtles Wasps And Related Insects Water Birds

Browse By Color

Black Black And White Blue Brown Gray Green Orange Red White Yellow

More animals are added regularly, so please visit again!

author avatar
Christine
Christine is the creator and author of NowIWonder.com, a website dedicated to the animals and plants that share our world, and the science that helps us understand them. Inspired by lifelong exploration and learning, Christine loves to share her knowledge with others who want to connect with wild faces and wild spaces.
See Full Bio