- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
It was a little late.
The first flameskimmer of the year usually arrives in our yard in early April.
Not this year. The species, Libellula saturata, was late.
The easily recognized red dragonfly, also known as "the firecracker skimmer," touched down in our yard today, May 24.
She perched on a bamboo stick in our pollinator garden, close to a fish pond, and eyed her surroundings.
It's amazing to watch them grab a flying insect and return to the perch to devour it.
Dragonflies belong to the order Odonata, which means "toothed one" in Greek.
Danish zoologist Johan Christian Fabricius, a student of Carl Linnaeus, coined the term Odonata in 1793. He is considered one of the greatest entomologists of the 18th century, according to Wikipedia. He named nearly 10,000 species of animals.
![A flameskimmer, Libellula saturata, perches on a bamboo stick in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) A flameskimmer, Libellula saturata, perches on a bamboo stick in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/99620.jpg)
![Another view of the flameskimmer, Libellula saturata. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) Another view of the flameskimmer, Libellula saturata. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/99623.jpg)
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
"My old flame" returned Saturday, July 2.
A strong north wind aided him.
It wasn't the "old flame" from last year, but a new generation.
Still, what a beauty of a dragonfly--a red flameskimmer or firecracker skimmer (Libellula saturata), native to Western North America.
Big Red perched on a tomato stake and checked out his surroundings, as a gale-like wind engulfed him.
Still, he stood his ground, or rather, his perch.
Big Red even managed to zip off and grab lunch (a bee) and return to eat it.
He didn't seem to mind the photographer seeking portraits of him during his lunch hour.
![A red flameskimmer or firecracker skimmer (Libellula saturata) perches on a tomato stake in a Vacaville pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) A red flameskimmer or firecracker skimmer (Libellula saturata) perches on a tomato stake in a Vacaville pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/92603.jpg)
![A strong north wind engulfs the red flameskimmer, turning his wings into head gear. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) A strong north wind engulfs the red flameskimmer, turning his wings into head gear. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/92604.jpg)
![Big Red, the flameskimmer, agrees to another portrait. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) Big Red, the flameskimmer, agrees to another portrait. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/92605.jpg)
![What's on the menu? Big Red, the flameskimmer, returns to his perch to eats his lunch. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) What's on the menu? Big Red, the flameskimmer, returns to his perch to eats his lunch. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/92606.jpg)
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Oscar Wilde opined in his 1889 essay, The Decay of Lying: An Observation, that "Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life."
It's up for discussion. Take the painted lady butterfly, Vanessa cardui. In real life, it is spectacular but the average fan may never be able to photograph it well in the wild. In art, you can depict it as you see it, or how you think it should be depicted. Either way, these butterflies draw attention.
Artist Roberto Valdez finds them fascinating, too. His Dixon May Fair entry in oils and acrylics, adult fine arts, won a well-deserved "best of show" in the Professional Fine Arts category.
No thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dixon May Fair--which dates back to 1876 and is renowned as the oldest district fair and fairgrounds in the state of California--canceled its 2020 and 2021 fairs. This year, however, the fair accepted entries. Judges scored the entries on tables set up in Denverton Hall and images of the winning entries were posted online.
V. cardui has a colorful history. Art Shapiro, UC Davis distinguished professor of evolution and ecology, writes on his research website that "apparently the entire North American population winters near the U.S.-Mexico border, breeding in the desert after the winter rains generate a crop of annual Malvaceous, Boraginaceous and Asteraceous hosts. The resulting butterflies migrate north. In good years (lots of desert rain) they may do so by billions, interfering with traffic and attracting the attention of the media."
Valdez' painting depicts 13 painted ladies fluttering by him or stopping to nectar. That's something you don't see often except during the height of a migration.
If you're an insect enthusiast, you'll enjoy seeing the online entries of insects depicted in paintings, photographs, drawings and jewelry. And you'll see bee condos or bee hotels (housing for leafcutter bees and blue orchard bees) crafted by youth.
At the judging tables in Denverton Hall, we also admired a drawing of a friendly blue dragonfly, the work of eight-year-old Logan Rush of Vacaville. He nailed it! Future entomologist? Maybe!
The Dixon May Fair, headed by chief executive officer Patricia Conklin, supports the communities of Dixon, Vacaville, Fairfield, Rio Vista, Elmira, all of Solano County, and Woodland and Davis, both of Yolo County. The 2021 Dixon May Fair normally would have taken place Thursday through Sunday, May 6-9, ending on Mother's Day. However, vendors offered a taste of the fair ("grab and go" food) for fans to enjoy.
Pre-COVID, the fair hosted community and agriculture-related activities throughout the year. The UC Davis Bohart Museum of Entomology plays a role in the annual four-day fair by providing exhibits. Next year!
![This painting in the oils and acrylics category, won best of show in professional fine arts at the 2021 Dixon May Fair. It is the work of Robert Valdez. This painting in the oils and acrylics category, won best of show in professional fine arts at the 2021 Dixon May Fair. It is the work of Robert Valdez.](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/79746.png)
![A painted lady, Vanessa cardui, flutters away in this prize-winning work of artist Roberto Valdez. He won best of show in the professional fine arts category, oils and acrylics, at the 2021 Dixon May Fair. A painted lady, Vanessa cardui, flutters away in this prize-winning work of artist Roberto Valdez. He won best of show in the professional fine arts category, oils and acrylics, at the 2021 Dixon May Fair.](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/79747.jpg)
- Author: Annemiek Schilder
In this blog series, Dr. Annemiek Schilder, Director, UCCE Ventura County and Hansen Agricultural Research and Extension Center, shares her observations about the natural world across the seasons. As she says:
"Gently observing your surroundings with curiosity will teach you some amazing things. There are so many fascinating things happening under our noses, only wanting for an observant eye."
The other day I spotted a gorgeous red dragonfly in my garden. He – yes, it was a male - cocked his head towards me several times and studied me with his big compound eyes as I inched closer to take a picture. He waited patiently while I tried to get him into focus, then eventually flew off. The flame skimmer dragonfly (Libellula saturata) is common in California and the Western US. Males have an orange-red body with orange sections on the wings, whereas the female is paler with an amber tinge along the upper edge of the wings.
Dragonflies speak to the imagination with their bright colors, transparent lacy wings and aerial acrobatics, inspiring poets and artists through the ages. They are often seen as a good omen and a source of comfort during times of loss. In Japan, the dragonfly is a symbol of strength, courage, and happiness whereas to Native Americans, dragonflies signify change, transformation and healing.
Dragonflies belong to the insect order Odonata, which means “toothed”, for their serrated mandibles − entomology-speak for jaws with teeth-like projections. Adult dragonflies feed on soft-bodied insects such as mosquitoes, flies, moths, butterflies, and flying ants, ambushing them in mid-flight. They have almost 360-degree vision due to their huge compound eyes and can see many more colors than humans can. Dragonflies are amazing flyers, achieving speeds over 30 miles per hour, and are able to fly forwards, backwards and remain stationary with the help of flight muscles that control each of the four wings separately.
The flame skimmer dragonfly is mostly found near warm ponds or slow-flowing streams. In colder regions they are a common sight around hot springs. The larvae, also called nymphs or naiads, spend 2 or more years living in shallow water where they feed on mosquito larvae and other aquatic insects, small fish and tadpoles. In order to grow, they have to molt (shed their skin) multiple times. Adult dragonflies emerge in the spring and live for about 6 months during which time they have to find a mate. As I was observing two flame skimmers chasing each other, I was reminded that dragonflies can be fiercely territorial. After mating, the female lays her eggs by dipping her abdomen repeatedly in the water while hovering above the surface.
Watch the life cycle of dragonflies in this National Geographic video.
Related Reading:
Fireworks in the Garden: Octopus Agave
Photo by Sensei Minimal on Unsplash
![Red dragonfly Red dragonfly](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/71726.jpg)
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Eager hands cradling an orchid mantis.
Eyes darting toward a hornet's nest.
That set the scene at the UC Davis Bohart Museum of Entomology's three-hour open house, themed "Crafty Insects." Visitors learned about the sneaky or cunning insects like praying mantids, and about the skillful insects such as hornets that construct intricate nests of wood pulp and saliva.
Insects rule.
Entomologist Jeff Smith, who curates the butterfly and moth section of the Bohart, loaned the quilted dragonfly hanging, the work of his mother-in-law, quiltmaker/seamstress Ann Babicky of Schofield, Wis. "She made it personally with us in mind," he said.
UC Davis entomology student and Bohart associate Lohit Garikipati, who rears mantids, loaned some of his favorites, including an orchid mantis, Hymenopus coronatus, a shield mantis, Rhombodera valida, and an Asian dead leaf mantis, Deroplatys truncata.
Garikipati, who serves as secretary of the UC Davis Entomology Club displayed mantids and walking sticks with club president Chloe Shott.
Smith and Bohart associate Greg Kareofelas showed visitors the moth and butterfly collection, while UC Davis student Emma Cluff answered questions about a hornet's nest. Another UC Davis student, Isabelle Gilchrist, staffed the "paint-a-rock" table. (See Bug Squad blog). Tabatha Yang, the Bohart's education and outreach coordinator, coordinated the open house.
The Bohart Museum of Entomology, directed by Lynn Kimsey, UC Davis professor of entomology, is named for noted entomologist Richard M. Bohart.
Located in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge Building on Crocker Lane, it houses
- nearly eight million insect specimens
- the seventh largest insect collection in North America
- the California Insect Survey, a storehouse of the insect biodiversity
- a live "petting zoo," comprised of Madagascar hissing cockroaches, walking sticks, tarantulas and praying mantids; and
- a year-around gift shop, which is stocked with T-shirts, sweatshirts, books, jewelry, posters, insect-collecting equipment and insect-themed candy
The Bohart Museum's regular hours are from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. It is closed to the public on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and on major holidays. Admission is free.
Public weekend hours for the academic year 2018-2019 are:
- Sunday, Nov. 18, from 1 to 4 p.m.: "Bring It Home: Urban Entomology"
- Saturday, Jan. 12, from 1 to 4 p.m.: "Time's Fun When You're Studying Flies"
- Saturday, Feb. 16, times vary: (campuswide) Biodiversity Museum Day
- Saturday, March 9, 1 to 4 p.m., "Eight-Legged Wonders"
- Saturday, April 14, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., (campuswide) UC Davis Picnic Day
More information on the Bohart Museum is available on the website or by contacting (530) 752-0493 or emailing bmuseum@ucdavis.edu.
![This quilted wall hanging of dragonflies is the work of quiltmaker and seamstress Ann Babicky of Schofield, Wis. Entomologist Jeff Smith, who curates the butterfly and moth specimens in the Bohart, loaned it for the open house. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) This quilted wall hanging of dragonflies is the work of quiltmaker and seamstress Ann Babicky of Schofield, Wis. Entomologist Jeff Smith, who curates the butterfly and moth specimens in the Bohart, loaned it for the open house. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/55473.jpg)
![Hands cradle an orchid mantis, orchid mantis, Hymenopus coronatus, from the collection of Lohit Garikipati. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) Hands cradle an orchid mantis, orchid mantis, Hymenopus coronatus, from the collection of Lohit Garikipati. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/55474.jpg)
![Entomologist Jeff Smith, curator of the butterfly and moth specimens at the Bohart, shows a tray to sisters Lily Edmonds of Davis, 7, and Chloe Edmonds, 6, of Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) Entomologist Jeff Smith, curator of the butterfly and moth specimens at the Bohart, shows a tray to sisters Lily Edmonds of Davis, 7, and Chloe Edmonds, 6, of Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/55475.jpg)
![Lily Edmonds of Davis, 7, reacts to the colorful butterflies. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) Lily Edmonds of Davis, 7, reacts to the colorful butterflies. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/55476.jpg)
![Bohart associate and UC Davis student Emma Cluff (back) talks about a hornet's nest. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) Bohart associate and UC Davis student Emma Cluff (back) talks about a hornet's nest. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/55477.jpg)
![Visitors learned about the fascinating world of insects. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) Visitors learned about the fascinating world of insects. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/55478.jpg)
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