As I was reviewing my photo library in search of candidates for the “Top 10 Photos of 2016” catalog, I stumbled across an unpublished photo of one of my favorite species of odonates.
Turns out there are lots of good photos that weren’t published for one reason or another. Now that ode-hunting season is undeniably winding down, more of these photos will be published during the “off-season.”
31 MAY 2016 | Huntley Meadows Park | Painted Skimmer (female)
A Painted Skimmer dragonfly (Libellula semifasciata) was spotted near a vernal pool in a remote location at Huntley Meadows Park. This individual is a female, as indicated by her terminal appendages.
Copyright © 2016 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Tags: female, Huntley Meadows Park, Libellula semifasciata, Painted Skimmer dragonfly, Skimmer Family, terminal appendages, vernal pool, wetlands, wildlife photography
October 28, 2016 at 9:45 am |
I love the amazing detail in this shot of a lady Painted Skimmer.
October 28, 2016 at 9:53 am |
Thanks, Mike! I like the color palette.
October 29, 2016 at 2:01 pm |
Hi Walter, Isn’t this ode a Four-spotted Skimmer and not a Painted Skimmer? Maha
October 29, 2016 at 9:11 pm |
Thanks for your comment, Maha. Do you own Dennis Paulson’s field guide? If so, then notice the range map for Four-spotted Skimmer shows suburban Washington, DC (where I live) is out-of-range for Four-spotted. Having said that, the range for some species of dragonflies (such as Swift Setwing) is expanding rapidly. Although the abdomen of Four-spotted and Painted Skimmer is similarly colored (and translucent), that’s where the similarity ends. The pattern of wing spots doesn’t match.