The preceding photo shows a Slender Spreadwing damselfly (Lestes rectangularis) spotted on 24 August 2014 alongside the boardwalk in the central wetland area hemi-marsh at Huntley Meadows Park.
This individual is a female as indicated by its terminal appendages and the ovipositor located on the underside of the posterior abdomen.
Copyright © 2014 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
“X” marks the spot for some dragonfly love, that is.
Mating Pair No. 1: Male 1; Female 1.
This post features photos of three mating pairs of Eastern Pondhawk dragonflies (Erythemis simplicicollis) spotted on 20 August 2014 during a photowalk along the boardwalk in the hemi-marsh at Huntley Meadows Park. All three pairs are shown “in wheel”: the males are on top; the females are on the bottom.
The next two photos show another male mating with two different females at same spot, several hours apart.
Mating Pair No. 2: Male 2; Female 2.
I have noticed some individuals of some species of dragonflies are creatures of habit that return to the same location day-after-day. For example, I think “Male 2” is the young male that I photographed in another mating pair at the same spot on 15 August 2014; notice the blue pruinescence that covers his body more completely five days after the first photos were taken on the 15th.
Immature [male] colored as female, becomes pruinose first on abdomen and then thorax. Color change begins at about a week of age and takes about 2–3 weeks, fastest at higher temperatures.” Source Credit: Paulson, Dennis (2011-12-19). Dragonflies and Damselflies of the East (Princeton Field Guides) (Kindle Locations 10207-10208). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.
Mating Pair No. 3: Male 2; Female 3.
Related Resources:
Editor’s Note: The preceding photos were taken using my new Fujifilm X-T1 digital camera and 55-200mm zoom lens (88-320mm, 35mm equivalent). I used the Fujifilm Shoe Mount Flash EF-42 in TTL mode with a shutter speed of 1/250s — John Greengo is right, 1/250s works as well or better than the X-T1’s 180x default sync speed!
More Related Resources:
Copyright © 2014 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
I spotted a Blue Dasher dragonfly (Pachydiplax longipennis) during a photowalk at Huntley Meadows Park on 08 August 2014. This individual is a teneral female, as indicated by its coloration and terminal appendages. She was sheltering in leaf litter alongside the raised gravel trail through the “drowned forest,” just beyond the end of the boardwalk.
Copyright © 2014 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
A tried and true recipe for success: combine a colorful subject with a colorful background that complements the subject.
The following photos show two male Blue Dasher dragonflies (Pachydiplax longipennis) spotted at Huntley Meadows Park.
The first individual is shown perching on trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) growing alongside the boardwalk in the hemi-marsh. The photo was taken with my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ150 superzoom camera (superseded by Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200 superzoom camera).
08 August 2014
The last individual was spotted near a vernal pool in the forest. The photo was taken with my Fujifilm X-T1 mirror-less digital camera, Fujifilm 55-200mm zoom lens (88-320mm, 35mm equivalent), and Fujifilm Shoe Mount Flash EF-42.
11 July 2014
Copyright © 2014 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
The preceding photograph shows a mating pair of Slaty Skimmer dragonflies (Libellula incesta) spotted on 15 August 2014 during a photowalk along the boardwalk in the hemi-marsh at Huntley Meadows Park. The pair is shown “in wheel”: the male is on top; the female on the bottom.
The following photo shows the female resting after copulation. Look closely at the full-size version of the photo. Females have a pair of flanges beneath their eighth abdominal segment that are used to scoop and hold a few drops of water when laying eggs (oviposition), hence the family name “Skimmer.” Remember that all dragonflies and damselflies have a 10-segmented abdomen, numbered from front to back.
Copyright © 2014 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
On 15 August 2014, I spotted two mating pairs of Blue Dasher dragonflies (Pachydiplax longipennis) during a photowalk along the boardwalk in the hemi-marsh at Huntley Meadows Park.
Both pairs are shown “in wheel”: the male is on top; the female on the bottom.
Mating Pair No. 1
ISO 200; 200mm (320mm, 35mm equivalent); -1 ev; f/6.4; 1/640s
Mating Pair No. 2
ISO 200; 200mm (320mm, 35mm equivalent); -1 ev; f/8; 1/340s
Editor’s Note: This post features more photos from a day of field-testing my new Fujifilm X-T1 mirror-less digital camera and 55-200mm zoom lens (88-320mm, 35mm equivalent). I refer to photos taken with the X-T1 as “X-Files,” an homage to “The X-Files” TV series (one of my favorite science fiction programs).
Copyright © 2014 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Eureka! As a result of either persistence or perseveration, I succeeded in photographing a mating pair of Eastern Pondhawk dragonflies (Erythemis simplicicollis) while field-testing my new Fujifilm X-T1 digital camera and 55-200mm zoom lens (88-320mm, 35mm equivalent) at Huntley Meadows Park on 15 August 2014.
The pair is shown “in wheel.” All dragonflies and damselflies have a 10-segmented abdomen, numbered from front to back: male dragonfly secondary genitalia are located in segments two and three (2 and 3); female genitalia in segment eight (8). Therefore, the male dragonfly is on top; the female is on the bottom.
The male member of this mating pair is a young male. See “Related Resources,” shown below, for links to a three-part series of photoblog posts illustrating color change in male Eastern Pondhawk dragonflies as they mature.
Photo 1. ISO 200; 200mm (320mm, 35mm equivalent); -1 ev; f/8; 1/350s
Notice the fishing spider in the background of the next photo.
Photo 2. ISO 200; 200mm (320mm, 35mm equivalent); -1 ev; f/8; 1/180s
I have never seen a pair of mating Eastern Pondhawk dragonflies hook-up as long as this couple — the same pair perched at three locations! Perhaps young males are more virile than mature males.
Photo 3. ISO 200; 200mm (320mm, 35mm equivalent); -1 ev; f/8; 1/250s
Related Resources:
Editor’s Notes: The preceding photos were taken using Aperture Priority (f/8). The drive mode was set for continuous shooting (low-speed burst, ~3 fps). A small pop-up flash was connected to the camera and the flash mode was set for forced flash, but flash doesn’t fire in burst mode. The focus mode was set for single autofocus; it would have been better to use continuous autofocus.
If you look closely at the full-size versions of these photos, then you will notice the focus is a little soft. In order to shoot tack-sharp photos using a hand-held camera and 200mm lens (320mm, 35mm equivalent), I would prefer to use a combination of a shutter speed of at least 1/640s with fill flash: this configuration works with my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ150 superzoom digital camera (superseded by Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200 superzoom camera); it doesn’t work with my new Fujifilm X-T1. Mirror-less digital cameras still require a shutter in order to properly expose larger image sensors such as the APS-C sensor featured in the X-T1. Using the X-T1, flash will synchronize with the shutter at shutter speeds of 1/180s or slower. Needless to say, I need to learn to adapt/adjust to the wonderful world of flash sync speed. Hey Fuji HQ — if you’re reading this, then your engineers need to start working on an external flash unit that features a hi-speed sync mode like my Canon 580EX II Speedlite … STAT!
All of that being said, my credo for wildlife photography is: “Get a shot, any shot; refine the shot.” Although my camera set-up wasn’t ideal, I got the shot when there was an opportunity; regrettably there was no time to refine the shot. Better luck next time, right?
More Related Resources:
Copyright © 2014 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
I was looking for mating pairs of Eastern Pondhawk dragonflies (Erythemis simplicicollis) during a photowalk at Huntley Meadows Park on 10 August 2014. Meanwhile my friend Mark Jette spotted a mating pair of damselflies.
The Orange Bluet damselflies (Enallagma signatum) shown in the following photographs are “in wheel,” in which the male uses “claspers” (terminal appendages) at the end of his abdomen to hold the female by her neck/thorax while they are joined at their abdomens. The male, orange and black in color, is on top; the female, green and black in color, is on the bottom.
The copulatory, or wheel, position is unique to the Odonata, as is the distant separation of the male’s genital opening and copulatory organs. Source Credit: Paulson, Dennis (2011-12-19). Dragonflies and Damselflies of the East (Princeton Field Guides) (Kindle Locations 377-378). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.
The wheel position is sometimes referred to as “in heart” when damselflies mate.
The preceding photograph was edited to highlight the heart shape formed by the mating pair of damselflies.
The classic heart shape became deformed as time passed.
In case you’re wondering, I spotted four- to five pairs of mating Eastern Pondhawk dragonflies but wasn’t fast enough to shoot a single photograph! Eastern Pondhawks mate quickly, often for just a few seconds and sometimes entirely in mid-air. Usually by the time you spot a mating pair and reach for your camera, the peep show is over: the pair separates when copulation is complete and the female starts laying eggs (oviposition) while the male hover-guards the female from other aggressive males.
Related Resources:
Copyright © 2014 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Simpler is better sometimes, such as this photograph of a Slaty Skimmer dragonfly (Libellula incesta) spotted in the hemi-marsh at Huntley Meadows Park on 10 August 2014. This individual is a male, as indicated by its coloration and terminal appendages.
There’s a reason gray and tan is a popular color combination, especially among interior designers — it just works!
Copyright © 2014 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Slaty Skimmer dragonflies (Libellula incesta) are common at Huntley Meadows Park. This individual was spotted on 22 July 2014 near a vernal pool in the forest; it is a mature male, as indicated by its coloration and terminal appendages.
Males that have mated often have marks on their abdomen where the female legs have scratched them. This is especially obvious in species in which males develop pruinosity, as the pruinosity on the mid-abdomen is scratched off, and the signs are visible at some distance. Source Credit: Paulson, Dennis (2011-12-19). Dragonflies and Damselflies of the East (Princeton Field Guides) (Kindle Locations 390-392). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.
Slaty Skimmer, the common name for Libella incesta, is derived from slate, a relatively common metamorphic rock that is often blue-black in color.
Related Resources: Digital Dragonflies, presenting high-resolution digital scans of living dragonflies.
Copyright © 2014 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
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