Dragonflies and Damselflies

Dragonflies and Damselflies ... but first, a moth -- Virginia Ctenucha, a lovely creature that I've seen in several locations during recent perambulations ...

Virginia Ctenucha

Virginia Ctenucha

Next, a brief sampling of recent dragonflies ... Slaty Skimmer and Widow Skimmer ...

Slaty Skimmer

Widow Skimmer

 ... and a damselfly, the Ebony Jewelwing ...

Ebony Jewelwing

Closing out this post are three damselflies - which also illustrate the challenges of these almost imaginary insects.

The first is a Marsh Bluet - probably - since according to Lam's "Damselflies of the Northeast," this species is nearly identical to 3 other species and can only be reliably identified by examining the shape of male 's cerci - and that requires netting it, then using a magnifying glass.

Marsh Bluet (? probable or ? possible)

The next 2 can be identified in the field with binoculars or a camera and I am reasonably certain on the IDs: Northern Bluet and Aurora Damsel:

Northern Bluet

Aurora Damsel

Hope you can get outside and enjoy the wonders of the season.

 

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 ...