Some species of dragonflies display sexual dimorphism; females are polymorphic for a smaller subset of those species. Andromorph females are male-like in color; heteromorph females are duller in color than males.
Blue-faced Meadowhawk dragonflies (Sympetrum ambiguum) display sexual dimorphism, and female Blue-faced Meadowhawks are polymorphic.
The following time-series of photos shows a mating pair of Blue-faced Meadowhawk dragonflies, spotted on 20 October 2014 near a vernal pool in the forest at Huntley Meadows Park. The pair is “in wheel”: the male is on top; the female is on the bottom.
The last photo in the set shows some of the female’s red coloration, indicating she’s an andromorph. Look closely at the dorsum of the female’s abdomen, as shown in a full-size version of the photograph.
Copyright © 2015 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Tags: adult female, adult male, andromorph, Blue-faced Meadowhawk dragonfly, Huntley Meadows Park, in wheel, mating pair, polymorphic, sexual dimorphism, Skimmer Family, Sympetrum ambiguum, vernal pool, wildlife photography
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