Red-mantled Skimmer (Libellula gaigei)




TEXAS: Hidalgo Co; National Butterfly Center - male - 4 July 2017

This individual was first spotted at the NBC by Mike Rickard on 22 June 2017 (for the second US record for the species, the first being found by Martin Reid in August of 2009 at Santa Ana NWR). It was not relocated, despite efforts by several series Odonata enthusiasts until 3 July 2017, when it was viewed breifly by a friend of Mike's (forgive me, I never got her name) shortly before Dad & I arrived. Around 3 pm on 3 July, I spotted a distant orange dragonfly sailing over a pool of water being chased by territorial Carmine and Roseate Skimmers, but could not relocate it for better looks or confirm that I had seen what I thought I saw. In the early morning (8:15 am) of 4 July 2017, Dad and I were slowly walking down the grassy section of "the ditch" when I flushed it out of the grass. It circled, a couple of times for good looks and then ascended into the treetops. We climbed out of the ditch, and Dad spotted it circle out of the treetops to perch in the sun, but it didn't sit long enough for a photo. A few minutes passed, and again it came down out of the trees and perched about 10 feet above the ground, and we got a good series of photos before it went back up into the treetops, not to be seen again (by us).