The following Common Green Darner dragonfly (Anax junius) was spotted near a vernal pool in a remote location at Huntley Meadows Park.
Can you identify its gender? You may want to refer to Sexing Common Green Darner dragonflies, my last blog post, before choosing an answer.
24 JUN 2016 | Huntley Meadows Park | Common Green Darner
Whatever its gender, this individual is what I call a “freshie,” that is, an odonate that emerged recently but may not fit the strict definition of “teneral.” You could call the dragonfly either “post-teneral” or “immature” but it’s definitely not mature, as indicated by the light tan eye color.
24 JUN 2016 | Huntley Meadows Park | Common Green Darner
Editor’s Note: The dark stripe extending into S2 is the most obvious field marker indicating this dragonfly is female.
Copyright © 2016 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Tags: Anax junius, Common Green Darner dragonfly, Family Aeshnidae, Huntley Meadows Park, immature form, teneral, vernal pool, wildlife photography
November 1, 2016 at 12:27 pm |
Female??!
November 1, 2016 at 12:30 pm |
This is Erin by the way. And I change my final answer to male. I investigated your last post a little better.
November 2, 2016 at 8:07 pm |
Way to waffle, Erin! 😉 As it turns out, your first answer is correct. The dark stripe extending into S2 is the most obvious field marker indicating this dragonfly is female.