| Libellula is a genus of dragonflies,
commonly called Skimmers, in the family Libellulidae, distributed throughout
the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. Most species are found in
the United States, where they are the best-known large dragonflies, often
seen flying over freshwater ponds in summer. Many have showy wing patterns.
The taxa Ladona (Corporals) and Plathemis (Whitetails) have been considered
as synonyms of Libellula, subgenera, or separate genera by different authorities.
Recent phylogenetic analysis has supported their status as either subgenera
or full genera. The genus contain 25 species.
Libellula herculea (Karsch, 1889)
is a species range in Middle America and South America, including Argentina,
Bolivia, Brazil, Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana,
Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Paraguay,
El Salvador, Venezuela. It is a large species with body length around 50
- 55 mm.
Male identification:
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Abdomen length around 31 mm.
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Frons and eyes black.
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Thorax dark red-brown, becoming gray on sides with pruinosity.
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Abdomen dark red above, black shaded with gray below.
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Stigma dark brown, 5-7 mm long.
Female identification:
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Abdomen length around 36 mm, hindwing length 48 mm
-
Vertex with two points on anterior margin separated by a curved or V-shaped
sinus.
-
Labrum often marked with dark brown in center.
-
Thorax brown with irregular darker brown markings.
Reference:
http://efg.cs.umb.edu/monteverde/Ode/OdeIntro.html
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