A male Neon Skimmer, Libellula croceipennis, rests on the remains of a dead branch. Easy to spot because of their large size and eye-popping color, these common, gorgeous dragonflies are active in summer as they breed, fly, and munch mosquitoes. Neon Skimmers live near ponds and streams, with males defending their territories. Both males and females zip through my garden, almost always near the pond in the back garden. This one is an outlier: he perched in the front garden, where no water is immediately available. Perhaps he wished to warm his wings in the late afternoon autumn sun or maybe he needed a break from the beach.
Females are a paler version of the vibrant males. As they lay eggs in our pond, they hover above the gently moving water. Curling their abdomens to the water, they dip a bit of that water with their eggs. The eggs are then deposited on watery solid surfaces, like lily pads or bits of algae, or at the edge of the pond where water meets land. Their movements are undulating, the process graceful and mesmerizing.
As summer has ended and autumn is well underway, the life cycle of these garden companions draws to a close. I’ll see these insects for a few more weeks, then not at all until April or May. They always bring a smile, especially on that day, in spring, when I spot them for the first time of the year.
Looking forward…
My Gardener Says... 
There’s still one or two around our pond here in Cambridge. They make me smile too!
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They are so cool looking and their flight patterns are fun to watch!
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I still remember the ditch outside the Anahuac refuge where I first saw one of these. They don’t seem to be so common on this side of the bay, but I may not be in their favored spots. They are beautiful; the one I found was exceptionally rosy — a real stunner.
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The do glow in the sun! Interestingly, that’s why this guy caught my attention, though the photo suggests he’s a darker orange than the orange I saw with my own peepers.
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Lovely garden companions!
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They are! Anyone who eats skeeters is more than welcome in my garden!
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👍🏼
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I don’t know if I’ve seen one like that. I need to keep an eye out.
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They’re hard to miss, for sure.
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Oh fun! Dragonflies are so fascinating. We’ve had some frost, but I think I saw a dragonfly today (the high was 62). I miss them during the winter.
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Brrr–frost already! Like you, I miss the dragons and damsels in the winter, too.
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As bright as these dragonflies are, somehow I’ve never thought of them as “neon.”
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You know, I agree. They’re bright, tbs, but not ‘neon’–I would have named them differently. How about ‘Pumpkin Skimmers’? 🙂
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Could the fact that Halloween is at hand be influencing your conception?
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How nice to have them both as a messenger of fall and a sure sign of spring! They are beautiful creatures. I’m not sure if it’s the same kind of red dragonfly as the one I’ve seen, but I remember being absolutely thrilled when I saw it!
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Isn’t it? They really are so gorgeous and good critters in the garden.
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I envy you having these beauties as residents in your yard.
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