Widow skimmer

(Libellula luctuosa)

Information

widow skimmer - Species Profile

widow skimmer - Featured photo
Photo by Lawrence J. Waldhauser

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

NatureServe

N5 - Secure
SNR - Unranked

Minnesota

not listed

Description

 

Size

Total length: 1 13 16

Similar Species

 

Habitat

Ponds, marshes, lakes, and streams.

Ecology

Season

Early April to mid-October

Behavior

 

Life Cycle

 

Larva Food/Hosts

 

Adult Food

 

Distribution

Distribution Map
7/25/2026

Sources

7, 24, 27, 30, 82, 83.

Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu. Accessed 7/25/2026).

Libellula luctuosa Burmeister, 1839 in Bánki, O., Roskov, Y., Döring, M., Ower, G., Hernández Robles, D. R., Plata Corredor, C. A., Stjernegaard Jeppesen, T., Örn, A., Pape, T., Hobern, D., Garnett, S., Little, H., DeWalt, R. E., Miller, J., Orrell, T., Aalbu, R., Abbott, J., Abreu, C., Acero P, A., et al. (2026). Catalogue of Life (2026-07-17 XR). Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgykv

Abbott, J.C. 2006-2026. OdonataCentral: An online resource for the distribution and identification of Odonata. Available at https://www.odonatacentral.org/. (Accessed: 7/25/2026).

Haarstad, J. 1997. The dragonflies of selected eastern Minnesota rivers. Report submitted to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Unpaged.

Steffens, W. P., and W. A. Smith. 1999. Status survey for special concern and endangered dragonflies of Minnesota: population status, inventory and monitoring recommendations. Final report submitted to the Natural Heritage and Nongame Research Program, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 54 pp.

Occurrence

Common

Taxonomy

Order

Odonata (Dragonflies and Damselflies)

Suborder

Anisoptera (Dragonflies)

Superfamily

Libelluloidea

Family

Libellulidae (Skimmers)

Genus

Libellula (King Skimmers)

Subordinate Taxa

 

Synonyms

Libellula basalis

Libellula odiosa

Common Names

widow skimmer

Photos

Visitor Photos

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Luciearl

This dragonfly was so well camouflaged, I would take the photo and not see it. Many times.

widow skimmer 24
widow skimmer 25
widow skimmer 26
widow skimmer 27
widow skimmer 28

Cindy Beane

saw two in our vegetable (weed) garden.

widow skimmer 22
widow skimmer 23

Lynn Rubey

widow skimmer 18
Female Widow Skimmer resting on its perch along the river in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge.

Lawrence J. Waldhauser

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widow skimmer 16
widow skimmer 17

Kirk Nelson

widow skimmer 14
Female widow skimmer

Minnesota Seasons Photos

widow skimmer 04
Male
widow skimmer 05
Male
widow skimmer 10
Male
widow skimmer 11
Male
widow skimmer 06
Female
widow skimmer 07
Female
widow skimmer 12
Female
widow skimmer 13
Female

Slideshows

Slideshows

Widow Skimmer
DianesDigitals

About

Copyright DianesDigitals

Libellula luctuosa (Widow Skimmer)
Allen Chartier

Widow Skimmer
Victor Fazio

About

Records of Libellula luctuosa (Widow Skimmer).

Videos

Visitor Videos

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Dan W. Andree

"Widow and Twelve-spotted Skimmer dragonfly"
Aug 11, 2016

About

Two dragonflies somewhat similar in color but quite different overall. This video shows some differences between a Widow and a Twelve-spotted Skimmer. Both were adult males. Somewhat similar in size though the Twelve-spotted is a little larger of the two.

Other Videos

Widow Skimmer Dragonfly (Libellulidae: Libellula luctuosa) Female on Stick
Carl Barrentine

About

Uploaded on Jul 2, 2011

Photographed at the Rydell NWR, Minnesota (29 June 2011). Thank you to John and Jane Balaban (@Bugguide.net) for confirming the identity and sex of this species!

Widow Skimmer (Libellulidae: Libellula luctuosa) on Stem
Carl Barrentine

About

Uploaded on Jul 11, 2009

Photographed at the Rydell NWR, Minnesota (11 July 2009).

Widow Skimmer
Stoil Ivanov

About

Uploaded on Jul 3, 2011

Widow Skimmer ( Libellula luctuosa ) male first than female filmed at Goose Lake Prairie Illinois 7-03-2011.

Widow Skimmer Dragonfly on June 28, 2013
Basicbill's Outdoor and Travel Channel

About

Published on Jul 2, 2013

A male Widow Skimmer Dragonfly at the Bluff Fen Nature Preserve in Elgin, Illinois.

Sightings

Visitor Sightings

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Luciearl
July 2026

widow skimmer

Location: Lake Shore, MN

Cindy Beane
7/2/2023

widow skimmer

Location: Collinwood Twp, Meeker Co.

saw two in our vegetable (weed) garden.

Theresa Zaske
8/27/2022

widow skimmer

Location: Rock Lake Township just north of Balaton

Alfredo Colon
10/16/2019

widow skimmer

Location: Woodbury, MN

Lynn Rubey
8/3/2019

widow skimmer

Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge

Female Widow Skimmer resting on its perch along the river in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge.

Laura Baxley
7/11/2018

widow skimmer

Location: Hole-in-the-Mountain Prairie

Kirk Nelson
6/12/2016

widow skimmer

Location: Fort Snelling State Park

Female widow skimmer

Minnesota Seasons Sightings

Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Park

Blue Mounds State Park

Bunker Hills Regional Park

Butternut Valley Prairie SNA

Camden State Park

Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center

Carver Park Reserve

Cedar Mountain SNA

Cedar Rock SNA

Clear Lake SNA

Cottonwood River Prairie SNA

Crosby Farm Regional Park

Des Moines River SNA

Falls Creek SNA

Flandrau State Park

Franconia Bluffs SNA

Frontenac State Park

Glynn Prairie SNA

Hastings SNA

Hole-in-the-Mountain Prairie

Holthe Prairie SNA

Hyland Lake Park Reserve

Hythecker Prairie SNA

Iron Horse Prairie SNA

Jensen Memorial WMA

Joseph A. Tauer Prairie SNA

Kasota Prairie SNA

Kilen Woods State Park

Lake Carlos State Park

Lake Elmo Park Reserve

Lake Louise State Park

Lake Maria State Park

Lake Rebecca Park Reserve

Lebanon Hills Regional Park

Maplewood State Park

Mary Schmidt Crawford Woods SNA

Mille Lacs Kathio State Park

Mille Lacs Moraine SNA

Minneopa State Park

Minnesota Valley NWR, Rapids Lake Unit

Mississippi River County Park

Myre-Big Island State Park

Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Touch the Sky Prairie Unit

Ordway Prairie

Oronoco Prairie SNA

Oxbow Park & Zollman Zoo

P.N. and G.M. Nelson Wildlife Sanctuary

Phelps Lake WMA

Pine Bend Bluffs SNA

Regal Meadow

Rice Lake State Park

River Warren Outcrops SNA

St. Croix Savanna SNA

Sand Prairie Wildlife Management and Environmental Education Area

Savage Fen SNA

Split Rock Creek State Park

Spring Lake Park Reserve

Springbrook Nature Center

Swedes Forest SNA

Uncas Dunes SNA

Vermillion River WMA

Whitetail Woods Regional Park

Wild River State Park

Woodbury WMA