Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) is a member of the Skimmer Family of dragonflies that is commonly spotted during the summer months at many water bodies in the mid-Atlantic United States.
Blue Dashers display sexual dimorphism; terminal appendages may be used to differentiate immature males from females.
Male dragonflies have three terminal appendages, collectively called “claspers,” that are used to grab and hold female dragonflies during mating: an upper pair of cerci (“superior appendages”) and a lower unpaired epiproct (“inferior appendage”).
24 AUG 2014 | Huntley Meadows Park | Blue Dasher (male)
Female dragonflies have a pair of cerci (superior appendages) that have little or no function.
29 MAY 2013 | Meadowood Recreation Area | Blue Dasher (female)
Related Resources: Odonate Terminal Appendages.
Copyright © 2015 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Tags: Blue Dasher dragonfly, cerci, claspers, epiproct, female, Huntley Meadows Park, male, Meadowood Recreation Area, Pachydiplax longipennis, Skimmer Family, terminal appendages, wildlife photography
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May 29, 2018 at 4:00 am |
[…] Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) is another summer species of odonate that appears in Northern Virginia in late spring. The following individual — spotted at Hidden Pond during a photowalk at Meadowood Recreation Area (MRA), Fairfax County, Virginia USA — is a male, as indicated by his coloration and terminal appendages. […]
August 23, 2018 at 4:01 am |
[…] during a photowalk at Occoquan Regional Park, Fairfax County, Virginia USA. This individual is a female, as indicated by her coloration and terminal […]