Some male Great Spreadwing damselflies (Archilestes grandis) have recognizable physical characteristics that distinguish them from other individuals of the same species and give them personality.
Regular readers of my photoblog may recall reading about “Crinkle-cut,” a very aggressive male with distinctive damage to all four of his wingtips, that I followed at Huntley Meadows Park (HMP) during Fall 2014.
This year, I met two new characters at the park: “Mr. Magoo“; and “Bendy Straw,” one of Magoo’s rivals.
Mr. Magoo
The nickname “Mr. Magoo” seems perfect for this male because of the prominent dark spots in his eyes. The eye spots are always in the same place, regardless of viewpoint, therefore it is technically incorrect to refer to them as “pseudopupils.”
08 OCT 2015 | HMP | Great Spreadwing (male, nicknamed “Mr. Magoo”)
15 OCT 2015 | HMP | Great Spreadwing (male, nicknamed “Mr. Magoo”)
I spotted “Mr. Magoo” for the first time on 08 October 2015; I have seen him again on the 15th and 21st.
15 OCT 2015 | HMP | Great Spreadwing (male, nicknamed “Mr. Magoo”)
Bendy Straw
The nickname “Bendy Straw” seems perfect for the following male because of his slightly malformed abdomen.
11 OCT 2015 | HMP | Great Spreadwing (male, nicknamed “Bendy Straw”)
Notice the bend in his abdomen at the boundary between segments seven and eight (S7 and S8). Remember that all dragonflies and damselflies have a 10-segmented abdomen, numbered from front to back.
11 OCT 2015 | HMP | Great Spreadwing (male, nicknamed “Bendy Straw”)
I met “Bendy Straw” on 11 October 2015; I haven’t seen “Bendy” again, although Mike Powell photographed him on 16 October.
Editor’s Note: Stay tuned for more photo sets of “Mr. Magoo” and “Bendy Straw,” to be published separately in several upcoming blog posts.
Copyright © 2015 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Tags: Archilestes grandis, Family Lestidae (Spreadwings), Great Spreadwing damselfly, Huntley Meadows Park, male, malformed, pseudopupils, vernal pool, wildlife photography
walter sanford's photoblog 
October 24, 2015 at 4:35 am |
Wonderful photos and posting on your celebrity damselflies, Walter. I was honored to see one of them (Bendy Straw), as you noted and I posted a photo of him in today’s blog entry with a link to this posting.
October 24, 2015 at 7:05 am |
Thanks, Mike! I’m glad you saw “Bendy” — I was concerned for his well-being. 😉
January 4, 2016 at 4:03 am |
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