Banded Pennant dragonflies (males)

Several Banded Pennant dragonflies (Celithemis fasciata) were spotted at Mulligan Pond, Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge (JMAWR), Fairfax County, Virginia USA. All of the individuals in this gallery are male, as indicated by their terminal appendages.

Fujifilm X-T1

The first photo was taken using my Fujifilm X-T1 digital camera, Fujinon XF55-200mm zoom lens plus a Fujifilm 11mm extension tube, and Fujifilm EF-X500 shoe mount flash. The lens was set for a focal length of 200mm (~300mm, 35mm equivalent).

The camera was set for an aperture of f/11. I forgot to decrease the aperture to f/16 (one of the lessons learned from recent field testing). Although depth of field (DoF) wasn’t an issue for the lateral view of a male Swift Setwing dragonfly featured in my last post, DoF is an issue for this viewpoint of a male Banded Pennant dragonfly. Notice the head and thorax are in focus; the terminal appendages are not.

02 AUG 2017 | JMAWR | Banded Pennant (male)

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ150

The photos in the last set were taken using my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ150 superzoom bridge camera plus Canon 580EX Speedlite, my go-to kit for photowalking.

02 AUG 2017 | JMAWR | Banded Pennant (male)

Is that a head-tilt I see below? Did you notice the male Variable Dancer damselfly (Argia fumipennis) in the background?

02 AUG 2017 | JMAWR | Banded Pennant (male)

Editor’s Notes

What are the take-aways from looking at photo sets of the same subject taken using different camera kits, shown head-to-head?

First, the Fujifilm X-T1 is a good camera that I should use more often. My comfort level with the Fujifilm camera isn’t the same as my trusty Panasonic, but that should develop in time.

Second, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ150 is capable of capturing high-quality photographs, especially when used in combination with a good external flash unit such as the Canon 580EX Speedlite.

Copyright © 2017 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

Banded Pennants (mating pair, in wheel)

“In wheel”

A mating pair of Banded Pennant dragonflies (Celithemis fasciata) was spotted at Mulligan Pond, Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge (JMAWR), Fairfax County, Virginia USA. This pair is “in wheel.”

02 AUG 2017 | JMAWR | Banded Pennants (mating pair, “in wheel“)

02 AUG 2017 | JMAWR | Banded Pennants (mating pair, “in wheel“)

“Insex”

In a recent blog post, I mentioned that I used to photowalk the boardwalk at Huntley Meadows Park frequently. In deference to the many women and children who visit the park, I coined the term “insex” (sounds like “insects” to the uninitiated) as a family-friendly way to alert my fellow odonate hunters/photowalkers that I heard/saw a mating pair of dragonflies.

More often than not, I hear the clatter of wings before I see a mating pair. When I hear that unique sound, “insex” is the code word I use to give people a heads-up to search for the noisy couple.

In this case, the male Banded Pennant made a silky-smooth, soundless hook-up with the female. I had been watching the female oviposit along the shoreline of the pond while a male was hover guarding her. The fact is, I’m not sure whether he was actually hover guarding or an interloper waiting for an opportunity to grab the female. Either way, I was able to shoot just two photos of the mating pair before they flew in wheel to the top of a nearby tree.

Copyright © 2017 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

Personality

In my experience, some dragonflies have a personality. Like this male Banded Pennant dragonfly (Celithemis fasciata) spotted at Hidden Pond, Meadowood Recreation Area, Fairfax County, Virginia USA.

I photographed two other male Banded Pennants; both of them were relatively skittish. Not this guy. It’s like he sensed I wasn’t a threat to his well-being and allowed me to get up close and, well, personal.

27 JUL 2016 | Meadowood Recreation Area | Banded Pennant (male)

Regular readers of my photoblog know I’m fond of head-tilts — one way in which dragonflies seem to display some of their personality. Both shots show a slight head-tilt to the left.

27 JUL 2016 | Meadowood Recreation Area | Banded Pennant (male)

Copyright © 2017 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

Banded Pennant dragonflies (mating pair)

A mating pair of Banded Pennant dragonflies (Celithemis fasciata) was spotted at Hidden Pond, Meadowood Recreation Area (MRA). This pair is “in wheel.”

02 JUL 2016 | MRA | Banded Pennant (mating pair, in wheel)

All dragonflies and damselflies have a 10-segmented abdomen, numbered from front to back: male dragonfly secondary genitalia, called hamules, are located in segments two and three (S2 and S3); female genitalia in segment eight (S8). Dragonflies form the mating wheel in order for their genitalia to connect during copulation.

02 JUL 2016 | MRA | Banded Pennant (mating pair, in wheel)

Therefore, the male is on top; the female is on the bottom.

02 JUL 2016 | MRA | Banded Pennant (mating pair, in wheel)

02 JUL 2016 | MRA | Banded Pennant (mating pair, in wheel)

02 JUL 2016 | MRA | Banded Pennant (mating pair, in wheel)

Copyright © 2016 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

Reconnecting with old friends

Although the coloration of Banded Pennant dragonfly (Celithemis fasciata) is subtler than other members of the Genus Celithemis (Pennants), it is attractive nonetheless and one of a few species of odonates that I look forward to seeing every year.

26 JUN 2016 | JMAWR | Banded Pennant (male)

Two male Banded Pennants were spotted on 26 June 2016 at Mulligan Pond, Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge (JMAWR). One of the two males was unusually cooperative; he allowed me to move close enough to shoot some frame-filling photos such as the one shown above.

Banded Pennant terminal appendages

Male

Male dragonflies have three terminal appendages, collectively called “claspers,” that are used to grab and hold female dragonflies during mating: an upper pair of cerci (“superior appendages”) and a lower unpaired epiproct (“inferior appendage”).

26 JUN 2016 | JMAWR | Banded Pennant (male)

(See a full-size version of the original photo, without annotation.)

Female

The following female Banded Pennant was spotted on 21 June 2016 at Hidden Pond, Meadowood Recreation Area (MRA).

Female dragonflies have a pair of cerci (superior appendages) that have little or no function.

21 JUN 2016 | MRA | Banded Pennant (female)

(See a full-size version of the original photo, without annotation.)

Copyright © 2016 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

First Banded Pennant dragonfly (male)

A Banded Pennant dragonfly (Celithemis fasciata) was spotted during a photowalk around Mulligan Pond, Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge (JMAWR). This is the first Banded Pennant I have seen in Virginia, although I have seen them in Maryland at New Marsh, Patuxent Research Refuge (North Tract).

24 JUL 2015 | JMAWR | Banded Pennant (male)

This individual is a male, as indicated by its coloration and terminal appendages. (Female Banded Pennants feature yellow spots along their abdomen.)

24 JUL 2015 | JMAWR | Banded Pennant (male)

I followed the same individual to several perches on different types of vegetation growing along the shoreline of Mulligan Pond.

24 JUL 2015 | JMAWR | Banded Pennant (male)

Is that a head-tilt in the following photo?

24 JUL 2015 | JMAWR | Banded Pennant (male)

See more photos of two other males spotted during the same outing.

24 JUL 2015 | JMAWR | Banded Pennant (male)

Related Resources: Digital Dragonflies, presenting high-resolution digital scans of living dragonflies.

• Genus Celithemis | Celithemis fasciata | Banded Pennant | male | top view
• Genus Celithemis | Celithemis fasciata | Banded Pennant | male | side view
• Genus Celithemis | Celithemis fasciata | Banded Pennant | female | top view

Copyright © 2015 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

Another male Banded Pennant dragonfly

Another male Banded Pennant dragonfly (Celithemis fasciata) was spotted during a photowalk around Mulligan Pond, Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge.

24 JUL 2015 | JMAWR | Banded Pennant (male)

The following photograph is my favorite in the set.

24 JUL 2015 | JMAWR | Banded Pennant (male)

The last photo breaks at least one rule of composition, yet it seems to work.

24 JUL 2015 | JMAWR | Banded Pennant (male)

Copyright © 2015 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

Banded Pennant dragonfly (male)

Several Banded Pennant dragonflies (Celithemis fasciata) were spotted during a photowalk around Mulligan Pond, Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge, including three males and a mating pair in wheel.

This individual is a male, as indicated by its coloration and terminal appendages. (Female Banded Pennants feature yellow spots along their abdomen.)

The color palette of the photographs complements the coloration of the Banded Pennant. The juxtaposition of man-made and natural objects is visually appealing. (Really, why is there a single piece of rebar sticking out of the pond?)

24 JUL 2015 | JMAWR | Banded Pennant (male)

Regular readers of my photoblog know I’m especially fond of head-tilts in which the dragonfly seems to display some of its personality.

24 JUL 2015 | JMAWR | Banded Pennant (male)

Look-out below…

24 JUL 2015 | JMAWR | Banded Pennant (male)

The following photo shows a Long-jawed Orb Weaver (Family Tetragnathidae) stalking the Banded Pennant. I was so focused on photographing the dragonfly I never noticed the “bonus bug” until I looked at the image on the big screen of my computer. In case anyone is concerned for the Banded Pennant’s welfare, it flew away when the spider was too close for comfort. Box score: Dragonflies (1); Spiders (0).

24 JUL 2015 | JMAWR | Banded Pennant (male), Long-jawed Orb Weaver

Editor’s Notes: Thanks to Dr. Edward Eder, a good friend and great amateur naturalist, for identifying the spider. Also, sincere thanks to Dr. Eder for giving me a heads-up when he spotted a Banded Pennant at Mulligan Pond recently.

Copyright © 2015 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.