During a recent visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge I was delighted to spot some bright red male Needham’s Skimmer dragonflies (Libellula needhami). The combination of the golden accents on the edges of their wings with that reddish-orange coloration makes these dragonflies visually stunning. The Needham’s Skimmers often were skittish, flying away as I approached, I managed to capture a few shots of them when they perched momentarily within range of my telephoto lens.
At this moment, Needham’s Skimmers are one of the most common dragonfly species that I encounter at this wildlife refuge, along with Common Whitetails. Some of the species that were present in the spring have disappeared and the autumn species have not yet taken their place. In that sense, we are in the midst of the summer doldrums, when the air is heavy with heat and humidity and new activity has slowed down to a snail’s pace.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Beautiful photos and informative commentary! I believe that the Needham’s Skimmer male dragonflies must have been influenced by the words of Bill Blass : “When in doubt, wear red.” It may interest you to know that Benjamin’s favorite color for the past few years is red. He is never in doubt about wearing red shirts, socks, sneakers, etc. You may remember that his first favorite was yellow which later became orange. When I questioned his choice of red the clever response was : “I just removed the yellow from the orange and it became red.” That prompted me to have a sign crafted for his room that says INC(RED)IBLE. Thank-you, Mr. Mike!!
What a beauty!