I revisited a photograph featured in a blog post published several years ago. I wanted to annotate the image to include information that I learned recently.
The following annotated image shows the face and mouth of an exuvia from a Tiger Spiketail dragonfly (Cordulegaster erronea) after its scoop-shaped face mask was pulled away from the head in order to count setae on the inner side of the prementum.
Cordulegaster erronea | exuvia (face and mouth)
There are two mandibles, one located on each side of the labrum. And there are two maxilla, one located below each mandible. Coarse setae make it challenging to see all of the parts clearly.
Sincere thanks to Marla Garrison for verifying my tentative identification of these mouth parts. And of course, thanks to Mike Boatwright for collecting and sharing the specimen with me.
Related Resources
- Post update: Cordulegastridae exuvia, published on 16 February 2018.
- Anatomy & Functional Morphology of Dragonfly Nymphs, presented by Marla Garrison on 24 September 2021 as part of the Dragonfly Society of the Americas Virtual Lecture series. Fast-forward to ~14:10/48:58 to view the segment related to mouth parts.
Copyright © 2021 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Tags: Cordulegaster erronea, exuvia, Family Cordulegastridae (Spiketails), habitat specialist, Signs of Wildlife, Tiger Spiketail dragonfly
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