Gray Petaltail dragonfly (Tachopteryx thoreyi) is well-known for its tendency to perch on gray and tan colored surfaces, including tree trunks. Less well-known is the fact that Gray Petaltail perches wherever it wants, including tall grasses growing in the forest seeps from which the species emerges.
“Bender,” my nickname for a male Gray Petaltail with a malformed abdomen, is shown perched on grass stems in the following photo set.
No. 1 | 06 JUN 2018 | Northern Virginia | Gray Petaltail (male)
The next photo provides a good view of the gentle curve in Bender’s abdomen, as well as his hamules, visible on the ventral side of abdominal segments two and three (S2 and S3).
No. 2 | 06 JUN 2018 | Northern Virginia | Gray Petaltail (male)
Like many male odonates, Bender probably perched on the grass in order to make himself available for hook-ups with females of the same species.
No. 3 | 06 JUN 2018 | Northern Virginia | Gray Petaltail (male)
Bender aggressively defended the prominent perch against other odonates that intruded upon his territory.
No. 4 | 06 JUN 2018 | Northern Virginia | Gray Petaltail (male)
No flash/flash
Compare/contrast Photo No. 3-4. The batteries in my external flash unit were almost drained completely by the time I shot the photos. As a result, the flash worked sometimes and didn’t work other times. I’m fairly certain the flash didn’t fire for the Photo No. 3, and equally certain it fired for Photo No. 4. Some photographers might contend the no-flash photo is “arty”; I contend Photo No. 4 — the fill-flash version — has better color balance, color saturation, and more detail in the shadows.
Copyright © 2018 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Tags: Bender, Family Petaluridae (Petaltails), forest seep, gear talk, Gray Petaltail dragonfly, habitat specialist, hamules, male, malformed, Tachopteryx thoreyi
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