{"id":71991,"date":"2020-07-17T05:14:03","date_gmt":"2020-07-17T11:14:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=71991"},"modified":"2026-03-17T13:58:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T18:58:14","slug":"twelve-spotted-skimmer-dragonfly-other-things-with-wings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/07\/17\/twelve-spotted-skimmer-dragonfly-other-things-with-wings\/","title":{"rendered":"Twelve-spotted Skimmer Dragonfly – Other Things With Wings"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MaleMale Twelve-spotted Skimmer dragonfly in northern Utah – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Anyone who knows me, even just a little bit, knows I can’t resist photographing dragonflies when I don’t have birds in my viewfinder. Sometimes even when there are birds nearby.<\/p>\n

Before I developed my passion, aka obsession, for photographing birds and prior to purchasing my long lenses I could be found walking around gardens and wild areas of Florida photographing flowers, spiders, butterflies, bees, and dragonflies. I learned there that if I walked slowly and moved cautiously I could photograph the bees, butterflies, and dragonflies even with a simple point & shoot camera.<\/p>\n

Now that I have longer lenses there are times I can easily photograph dragonflies from mobile blinds.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Twelve-spotted Skimmer above a deceased Variegated Meadowhawk – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Five days ago I photographed a lifer dragonfly when I found a male Twelve-spotted Skimmer that was hanging around a spring-fed seep next to a gravel road in Box Elder County<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

For a bit it was also hanging around a deceased Variegated Meadowhawk dragonfly that was hung up in a spider web that was wrapped around a cattail.<\/p>\n

Until five days ago I’d never photographed a Twelve-spotted Skimmer.<\/p>\n

\"RestingResting male Twelve-spotted Skimmer dragonfly – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 400, +0.7 EV, <\/span>Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I do wish the Twelve-spotted Skimmer had turned around to look at me when it flew to the top of the cattail but I am glad I had it in my viewfinder even for a short period of time.<\/p>\n

\"Eight-spottedEight-spotted Skimmer male \u2013 Nikon D810, f11, 1\/500, ISO 400, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

We also have Eight-spotted Skimmer dragonflies in northern Utah that look very similar to the Twelve-spotted Skimmers so I thought I would share a photo of one for visual comparison. Looking at the two dragonflies quickly a person might think that they are the same species but differences stand out if you count the dark spots on their wings!<\/p>\n

Eight-spotted Skimmers (Libellula forensis<\/em>) have two large, dark patches or spots per wing and Twelve-spotted Skimmers (Libellula pulchella<\/em>) have three per wing.<\/p>\n

What can I say? I love birds the most but I also enjoy photographing other things with wings.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good. Stay safe.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my insect and spider photos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Five days ago I photographed a lifer dragonfly when I found a male Twelve-spotted Skimmer that was hanging around a spring-fed seep next to a gravel road in Box Elder County.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":172276,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1148,1022,5363,697,10233,26],"tags":[4004,4098,5366,2204,5364,10239,1446,5365,7412,2558,4104,4156,7474,4697,5117,7411,10238],"class_list":["post-71991","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-davis-county-utah","category-eight-spotted-skimmers","category-farmington-bay-wma","category-twelve-spotted-skimmer-dragonflies","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-desert","tag-dragonflies","tag-dragonfly","tag-eight-spotted-skimmer","tag-eight-spotted-skimmer-dragonfly","tag-great-basin","tag-libellula-forensis","tag-libellula-pulchella","tag-odonata","tag-perched","tag-resting","tag-seep","tag-skimmer","tag-skimmers","tag-twelve-spotted-skimmer","tag-twelve-spotted-skimmer-dragonfly"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/twelve-spotted-skimmer-dragonfly-male-mia-mcpherson-3231.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-iJ9","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":104416,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/07\/20\/female-eight-spotted-skimmer-dragonfly\/","url_meta":{"origin":71991,"position":0},"title":"Female Eight-spotted Skimmer Dragonfly","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 20, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Earlier this week my last subject of the morning was a female Eight-spotted Skimmer dragonfly that landed in front of me next to a creek in the mountains.","rel":"","context":"In "Davis County"","block_context":{"text":"Davis County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/davis-county-utah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Resting female Eight-spotted Skimmer dragonfly, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Eight-spotted-Skimmer-Wasatch-Mountains-mia-mcpherson-6272.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Eight-spotted-Skimmer-Wasatch-Mountains-mia-mcpherson-6272.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/davis-county-utah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Eight-spotted Skimmer Dragonfly Head On, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/eight-spotted-skimmer-farmington-bay-mia-mcpherson-4307.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/eight-spotted-skimmer-farmington-bay-mia-mcpherson-4307.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/eight-spotted-skimmer-farmington-bay-mia-mcpherson-4307.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/eight-spotted-skimmer-farmington-bay-mia-mcpherson-4307.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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Bay","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 13, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"A few days ago I discovered several male Eight-spotted Skimmers close to the edge of Glover Pond at Farmington Bay and was delighted to photograph these beautifully patterned Odonata.","rel":"","context":"In "Davis County"","block_context":{"text":"Davis County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/davis-county-utah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Eight-spotted Skimmer on a cattail stalk, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/eight-spotted-skimmer-mia-mcpherson-8876.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/eight-spotted-skimmer-mia-mcpherson-8876.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/box-elder-county-utah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Flame Skimmer dragonfly in northern Utah, Box Elder County","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/flame-skimmer-male-mia-mcpherson-5975.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/flame-skimmer-male-mia-mcpherson-5975.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/flame-skimmer-male-mia-mcpherson-5975.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/flame-skimmer-male-mia-mcpherson-5975.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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