Elfin Skimmer
Nannothemis bella Uhler, 1857
Elfin Skimmer: https://www.marylandbiodiversity.org/species/742
Synonyms
Tags
Endangered (MD) S1 (Highly state rare)

Map Snapshot

190 Records

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Status

Elfin Skimmer (Nannothemis bella) is the smallest dragonfly in North America. This diminutive species haunts bogs, where it breeds in pools in the Sphagnum. It may also occur at grassy seepages along lake edges (Paulson, 2011). While common in parts of its range, this is a rare dragonfly in Maryland. It has been found mainly in grassy bogs within three coastal plain counties, plus one population in the piedmont, in Frederick County (Richard Orr's The Dragonflies and Damselflies of Maryland and the District of Columbia). This species is state endangered in Maryland, and ranked as S1 (highly state rare).

Description

The Elfin Skimmer is North America's smallest dragonfly, averaging between 3/4" and an inch long.

Resources

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Citations

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Source: Wikipedia

Nannothemis bella
Male
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Infraorder: Anisoptera
Family: Libellulidae
Subfamily: Brachydiplacinae
Genus: Nannothemis
Brauer, 1868
Species:
N. bella
Binomial name
Nannothemis bella
(Uhler, 1857)

Nannothemis is a genus of dragonflies in the family Libellulidae. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species, Nannothemis bella, commonly known as the elfin skimmer.[1][2][3][4][5] The elfin skimmer is native to the eastern United States and Canada, and is the smallest dragonfly in North America.[6] Males are powdery blue, while females are black and yellow, resembling a wasp.[7]

Nannothemis bella, female

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Nannothemis Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
  2. ^ "Nannothemis". GBIF. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
  3. ^ "Odonata Central". Retrieved 2019-07-02.
  4. ^ Paulson, D.; Schorr, M.; Abbott, J.; Bota-Sierra, C.; Deliry, C.; Dijkstra, K.-D.; Lozano, F. "World Odonata List". OdonataCentral. University of Alabama.
  5. ^ "Elfin Skimmer". Maryland Biodiversity Project. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  6. ^ "Nannothemis bella". Wisconsin Odonata Survey. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 18 February 2020.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Silsby, Jill (2001). Dragonflies of the World. Smithsonian Institution Press. ISBN 978-1560989592.
  • Steinmann, Henrik (1997). Wermuth, Heinz; Fischer, Maximilian (eds.). World Catalogue of Odonata, Volume II: Anisoptera. Das Tierreich. Vol. 111. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 978-3-11-014934-0.
  • Needham, James G.; Westfall Jr., Minter J. Jr.; May, Michael L. (2000). Dragonflies of North America. Scientific Publishers. ISBN 978-0-945417-94-1.
  • Kalkman, V. J. (2013). Studies on phylogeny and biogeography of damselflies (Odonata) with emphasis on the Argiolestidae (PhD). Leiden University. hdl:1887/22953.
[edit]
  • Wikimedia Commons logo Media related to Nannothemis at Wikimedia Commons


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