Master Gardeners of Ventura County
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Master Gardeners of Ventura County

Posts Tagged: flameskimmer dragonfly

Just a Sweat Bee Foraging on a Black-Eyed Susan

"Sweat bees have earned their common name from the tendency, especially of the smaller species,to alight on one's skin and lap up perspiration for both its moisture and salt content." So write University of California scientists in their award-winning...

A sweat bee, Halictus ligatus, foraging on a Black-E
A sweat bee, Halictus ligatus, foraging on a Black-E

A sweat bee, Halictus ligatus, foraging on a Black-Eyed Susan in a Vacaville, Calif. pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The sweat bee, Halictus ligatus, moves around the Black-Eyed Susan. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The sweat bee, Halictus ligatus, moves around the Black-Eyed Susan. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The sweat bee, Halictus ligatus, moves around the Black-Eyed Susan. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The sweat bee, Halictus ligatus, covered with pollen, takes flight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The sweat bee, Halictus ligatus, covered with pollen, takes flight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The sweat bee, Halictus ligatus, covered with pollen, takes flight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A flameskimmer dragonfly, Libellula saturata, munches on a sweat bee, Halictus ligatus. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A flameskimmer dragonfly, Libellula saturata, munches on a sweat bee, Halictus ligatus. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A flameskimmer dragonfly, Libellula saturata, munches on a sweat bee, Halictus ligatus. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Wednesday, July 28, 2021 at 4:32 PM
Focus Area Tags: Environment, Natural Resources, Yard & Garden

Like a Lens to a Flame

It's a delight to see the flameskimmer dragonfly (Libellula saturata). This male made its appearance in our Vacaville pollinator garden on May 17, and hung around long enough for me to capture several images. Like a lens to a flame... When...

The male flameskimmer dragonfly (Libellula saturata) is firecracker red. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The male flameskimmer dragonfly (Libellula saturata) is firecracker red. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The male flameskimmer dragonfly (Libellula saturata) is firecracker red. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A different angle, but the same gorgeous flameskimmer. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A different angle, but the same gorgeous flameskimmer. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A different angle, but the same gorgeous flameskimmer. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at 6:16 PM
Focus Area Tags: Environment, Innovation, Natural Resources, Yard & Garden

My Old Flame: Looking for Love or a Fast-Food Snack or a Little Sun

Looking for love...or a fast-food snack...or a little sun... A male flameskimmer dragonfly, Libellula saturata, is a sight to see. The males are fire-engine red or firecracker red, and when they perch on a bamboo stake in your pollinator garden,...

A male flameskimmer dragonfly, Libellula saturata, perches on a bamboo stake in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A male flameskimmer dragonfly, Libellula saturata, perches on a bamboo stake in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A male flameskimmer dragonfly, Libellula saturata, perches on a bamboo stake in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The flameskimmer's wings shimmer in the morning light. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The flameskimmer's wings shimmer in the morning light. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The flameskimmer's wings shimmer in the morning light. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Wednesday, May 15, 2019 at 5:33 PM
Focus Area Tags: Environment, Natural Resources, Yard & Garden

Fire and Fury in a Pollinator Garden

Just call it "Fire and Fury in a Pollinator Garden." That would be the firecracker red flameskimmer dragonfly, Libellula saturata. They fly into our pollinator garden in Vacaville, Calif., attracted by the lily-padded pond and the all-you-can-eat...

A male flameskimmer dragonfly, Libellula saturata, perches on a bamboo stake. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A male flameskimmer dragonfly, Libellula saturata, perches on a bamboo stake. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A male flameskimmer dragonfly, Libellula saturata, perches on a bamboo stake. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Flameskimmer dragonfly, Libellula saturata, about to take flight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Flameskimmer dragonfly, Libellula saturata, about to take flight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Flameskimmer dragonfly, Libellula saturata, about to take flight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A brisk breeze stirs the wings of a flameskimmer dragonfly. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A brisk breeze stirs the wings of a flameskimmer dragonfly. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A brisk breeze stirs the wings of a flameskimmer dragonfly. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Monday, May 21, 2018 at 4:16 PM
Focus Area Tags: Environment, Natural Resources, Yard & Garden

Meet Big Red, the Flameskimmer

Big Red visited us for four consecutive days. The red flameskimmer dragonfly, Libellula saturata, zigged and zagged into our pollinator garden in Vacaville, Calif. and perched on a bamboo stake for five hours at a time. Occasionally, he'd hunt--lift...

A red flameskimmer, Libellula saturata, perches on a bamboo stake. Note the nesting earwigs and bees in the split stake. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A red flameskimmer, Libellula saturata, perches on a bamboo stake. Note the nesting earwigs and bees in the split stake. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A red flameskimmer, Libellula saturata, perches on a bamboo stake. Note the nesting earwigs and bees in the split stake. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A red flameskimmer, Libellula saturata, sparkles in the sun. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A red flameskimmer, Libellula saturata, sparkles in the sun. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A red flameskimmer, Libellula saturata, sparkles in the sun. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Helicopter? No, a red flameskimmer, Libellula saturata, glimmering in the sunlight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Helicopter? No, a red flameskimmer, Libellula saturata, glimmering in the sunlight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Helicopter? No, a red flameskimmer, Libellula saturata, glimmering in the sunlight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A flameskimmer,Libellula saturata, in flight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A flameskimmer,Libellula saturata, in flight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A flameskimmer,Libellula saturata, in flight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Tuesday, May 23, 2017 at 5:27 PM

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