I spotted this gorgeous Twelve-spotted Skimmer dragonfly (Libellula pulchella) on Monday (8 September) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I don’t see this species very often and think this might be the first one that I had photographed this season. The white spots in between the darker patches on the wings indicate that this is a male—females of this species have only the darker spots.
Most of the time when I am photographing dragonflies I have to shoot quickly before the dragonfly flies away. In this case, I had the luxury of being able to move around a bit to find a shooting angle that captured the details of the beautiful wings and the blooming wildflowers in the background. Why? When male Twelve-spotted Skimmers are flying, their patterned wings make them look almost like butterflies and I was able to track this dragonfly to the spot where he landed—most other dragonflies have transparent wings and therefore appear smaller when they are in flight.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
I love the colors on this dragonfly!! Beautiful!
I have seen this species where I live. Beautiful wing patterns.
Thanks, Gary. There are not too many species with two colors of wing patches, so these dragonflies tend to stick out.
Fantastic photo, Mike, and beautiful creature.
Thanks, Jet. As you know, I love chasing after dragonflies and it’s cool to capture shots of them. It’s a double bonus when the background is also photogenic.
Another beauty!