While we’re doing that mating pairs of insects thing, let’s continue the theme with photos of two mating pairs of Autumn Meadowhawk dragonflies (Sympetrum vicinum) spotted near a vernal pool at Huntley Meadows Park (HMP). Both pairs are “in wheel.”
Couple No. 1
The male is on the upper-right; the female on the lower-left. Notice the male dragonfly is using his front legs to groom his eyes and face, while mating. Hey, you want to look good when hooking up!
13 NOV 2016 | HMP | Autumn Meadowhawk (mating pair, “in wheel“)
The photo is cropped slightly in order to remove a few distracting elements near the edges of the photo. In my opinion, nothing says “Autumn Meadowhawk” quite like a photo showing the dragonflies perching on autumn-colored vegetation.
Couple No. 2
The male is on top; the female on the bottom.
13 NOV 2016 | HMP | Autumn Meadowhawk (mating pair, “in wheel“)
The preceding photo is full-frame (4,000 x 3,000 pixels), giving the viewer a sense of how close I was to the dragonflies. This image — showing the dragonflies perching on tree bark — complements the coloration of the Autumn Meadowhawks but doesn’t convey the same sense of the season as the first photo.
Copyright © 2017 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Tags: adult female, adult male, Autumn Meadowhawk dragonfly, Family Libellulidae (Skimmers), grooming, Huntley Meadows Park, in wheel, mating pair, Sympetrum vicinum, vernal pool, wetlands
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