Great Blue Skimmer dragonfly (old female)

A Great Blue Skimmer dragonfly (Libellula vibrans) spotted near the suspension bridge over Accotink Creek, Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge. This individual is an old female, as indicated by its gray-brown coloration, the flanges beneath its eighth abdominal segment (used to scoop and hold a few drops of water during oviposition), and by the terminal appendages at the end of its abdomen. Remember that all dragonflies and damselflies have a 10-segmented abdomen, numbered from front to back.

Females become duller and darker with age, eyes may become blue. Source Credit: Paulson, Dennis (2011-12-19). Dragonflies and Damselflies of the East (Princeton Field Guides) (Kindle Locations 9196-9197). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.

Contrast the appearance of this old female Great Blue Skimmer with a young female of the same species: Great Blue Skimmer dragonfly (female)

Habitat: Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge, a 1,200 acre preserve located at Army Garrison Fort Belvoir, Fairfax County, Virginia USA.

Tags: Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge, Great Blue Skimmer dragonfly, Libellula vibrans, old female, oviposition, wildlife photography

This entry was posted on September 30, 2012 at 9:00 am and is filed under Aperture, Canon EOS XTi, digital photography, dragonflies, natural science. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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