Reading outside the other day, I caught sight of two dragonflies, zigzagging above our front yard. They appeared to have heavy, dark bodies but, in fact, that illusion was due to black blotches on their proximal, hind wings. Their official name, black saddlebag skimmers, is a creative interpretation of that appearance.
Rather common throughout most of North America, these skimmers, like other dragonflies, lay their eggs in shallow ponds or wetlands. Once hatched, the aquatic juveniles feast on a wide variety of invertebrates, especially on the larvae of mosquitos. Southern populations produce two generations each year while northern residents manage only one.
Like many butterflies, black saddlebag skimmers migrate southward as the autumn chlll sets in. Perhaps our visitors were gearing up for the journey ahead.
