Things with Wings - 1

With the avian breeding season coming to a close, I have turned some of my attention to other things with wings - butterflies, dragonflies, and damselflies. The dragons and damsels are new quests for me, and the learning curve has been steep. They also require a very different kind of alertness. There is no audio with these insects, and the sight distance is relatively close by, unlike birds which are often seen at a distance. The use of my camera helps tremendously, since I can study and identify with resources at hand.

The Stokes Beginner's Guide to Dragonflies has been invaluable in these early stages of learning. With a tentative ID, I then try to confirm with Dragonflies and Damselflies of the East, Dennis Paulson (Princeton Field Guides).

Even so, I am not always certain, and many species are closely related and difficult to distinguish. If you think an ID is incorrect, please let me know.

In this post, I begin with some of the larger and more conspicuous dragonflies, all in the Skimmer family.

Common Whitetail (Libellula lydia 1.7")

Common Whitetail

Twelve-spotted Skimmer (Libellula pulchella 2.0")

Twelve-spotted Skimmer - male

Twelve-spotted Skimmer - female

Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa 1.8")

Widow Skimmer

Chalk-fronted Corporal (Libellula julia 1.6")

Chalk-fronted Corporal - female

Chalk-fronted Corporal - male

Spangled Skimmer (Libellula eyanea 1.8")

Spangled Skimmer

Slaty Skimmer (Libellula incesta 2.0")

Slaty Skimmer

More soon ...