United States and Canada
This is a brilliant bright red, robust species. Its face, front of the thorax and entire abdomen including caudal appendages are all brilliant red in mature individuals. The sides of the thorax are reddish-brown and unmarked. The wings have a diffuse amber-yellow area basally that extends out to the triangle where it narrows towards the costal margin, terminating near the nodus. The pterostigma are brown and generally longer (6 mm ) than in Flame Skimmer (L. saturata ) (less than 5 mm). Females may have clear wings. The legs are brown and armed with black spines. Abdominal segment 8 in females is broadly expanded laterally. The thorax and abdomen in young individuals are reddish-brown with a pale yellowish middorsal stripe.

Size: Total length: 54-59 mm; abdomen: 32-39 mm; hindwing: 35-47 mm. Smaller than Blue-eyed or Common Green Darners; similar in size to Flame Skimmer; larger than Variegated Meadowhawk or Wandering Glider. 

Similar Species (United States and Canada): Neon Skimmer (L. croceipennis) may appear about the same size, slightly larger or slightly smaller than Flame Skimmer in the field. Where Neon occurs they often occur together and when they do the more intense color of Neon is often apparent. Male Neon Skimmer tends to have higher contrast between a "neon" red/fuchsia abdomen and a more tan or amber-red thorax and head; whereas Flame Skimmer tends to be more uniform orange/amber overall. 

The amber color in the wings of Flame Skimmer (L. saturata) is more extensive than on Neon Skimmer extending beyond the nodus; this colored area also angles back toward the body in Neon rather than parallel to the body as in Flame Skimmer. Neon Skimmer lacks the darker dash at the base of the hindwing (a brown stripe covering the midbasal space.) Both male and female Flame Skimmer show a contrasting yellowish subcosta (the middle of the three big veins on the inner part of the leading edge of the forewing), whereas the veins on the Neon Skimmer are quite uniformly colored; this mark is often quite obvious in the field. Male Neon Skimmer often shows a very dark or blackish stigma, which is normally orange in male Flame Skimmer. 

Needham's (L. needhami) and Golden-winged (L. auripennis) Skimmer both have a black middorsal stripe down the abdomen. The Mayan Setwing (Dythemis maya) has a much more slender thorax and abdomen.

Habitat: Ponds, lakes and sluggish streams.

Natural History: This is one of the most noticeable visitors to lakes and ponds in central Texas. Its bright red color and erratic movements rarely let it go unnoticed. Males may be seen perched on top of tall grasses and weeds, but when females are present, they are generally seen chasing them in attempts to mate. Unusual among dragonflies, Neon Skimmers exhibit courtship behavior. Males typically only approach females when the are laying eggs. Males approach females with their abdomen raised and clearly visible to females. The female then leaves or the male makes sudden quick advances toward her until she flees, whereupon he attempts to seize her. Males apparently also exhibit threat displays to other males by lowering the abdomen. Copulation typically occurs while perched on limbs or twigs near the water, but it may take place in flight. The entire process usually does not take longer than 30 seconds. Females then lay eggs guarded by the male only for an initial short time. Oviposition typically occurs at midday, by swiftly flying forward, dipping the abdomen in the water and subsequently throwing eggs with droplets of water on shore. They fly up and back again, repeating this several times.

Distribution: Southwestern U.S. through Central America south to Colombia.

Source: Abbott, J.C. 2006-2010. OdonataCentral: An online resource for the distribution and identification of Odonata. Available at OdonataCentral.

Edited by Drew Weber (9/24/2015); Edited by David Bell (7/16/2016)