Posts Tagged ‘young male’
November 8, 2019
A Blue-faced Meadowhawk dragonfly (Sympetrum ambiguum) was spotted near a vernal pool in the forest at Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax County, Virginia USA.
This individual is a young male, as indicated by the red pruinescence that partially covers his yellow-orange and black abdomen, plus his terminal appendages.
Regular readers of my photoblog know I’m fond of head-tilts in which the dragonfly seems to display some of its personality, especially when the individual is looking at me (below).
Left, right, left. I followed this guy from perch to perch for several minutes.
The Backstory
My collection of field notes includes two text files that list lots of photos of both Blue-faced Meadowhawk and Autumn Meadowhawk dragonflies (S. vicinum) that were never published in my photoblog. Most of the photos were taken during Fall 2013 when one of many vernal pools at Huntley Meadows Park was near peak diversity for odonate species that inhabited the pool. Sadly, those days are long gone!
Copyright © 2019 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Tags:Blue-faced Meadowhawk dragonfly, Family Libellulidae (Skimmers), habitat specialist, head-tilt, Huntley Meadows Park, odonate habitat, pruinescence, Sympetrum ambiguum, terminal appendages, vernal pool, young male
Posted in Aperture, digital photography, dragonflies, natural science, Panasonic DMC-FZ150, Photoshop, wildlife photography | Leave a Comment »
September 27, 2019
A mini-swarm of Common Green Darner dragonflies (Anax junius) was spotted at a dry vernal pool, Old Colchester Park and Preserve (OCPP), Fairfax County, Virginia USA. A few Black Saddlebags dragonflies were mixed in with the swarm of A. junius.
Some of the dragonflies were hawking smaller insects; others were resting on vegetation. It’s probable members of the swarm had stopped to rest and refuel before continuing their southward migration.
The following Common Green Darner dragonfly was perched in a bed of dried cattails.
This individual is a young male, as indicated by his terminal appendages. Notice there are points on the tips of his cerci, as shown in the full-size version of the preceding photo. Female cerci are pointless, both literally and figuratively.
Related Resources
Copyright © 2019 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Tags:Anax junius, cerci, Common Green Darner dragonfly, Family Aeshnidae (Darners), migratory, Old Colchester Park and Preserve, terminal appendages, vernal pool, young male
Posted in Aperture, Canon 430EX II Speedlite, digital photography, dragonflies, natural science, Panasonic DMC-FZ300, Photoshop, photowalking, wildlife photography | Leave a Comment »
July 25, 2017
A Halloween Pennant dragonfly (Celithemis eponina) was spotted during a photowalk at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge (OBNWR), Prince William County, Virginia USA. This individual is a young male, as indicated by his yellowish-orange coloration, hamules, and terminal appendages.
Both photos in this gallery show the dragonfly perching at the top of Eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides). Eastern gamagrass grows to a height of five- to six feet.
Look at the full-size version of the preceding photo. With its jaw open, the head of this pennant reminds me of the skull on a Jolly Roger flag. Argh, matey!
The last photo is my favorite in the set. The clarity, color palette and composition are perfect, he said not too modestly.
Copyright © 2017 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Tags:Celithemis eponina, Family Libellulidae (Skimmers), Halloween Pennant dragonfly, hamules, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, terminal appendages, young male
Posted in Aperture, Canon 580EX Speedlite, digital photography, dragonflies, natural science, Panasonic DMC-FZ150, Photoshop, photowalking, wildlife photography | 4 Comments »
August 5, 2016
The Backstory: A cohort of emergent/teneral Slender Spreadwing damselflies (Lestes rectangularis) was discovered during late-May and early-June 2016 at a vernal pool located in Huntley Meadows Park (HMP). I have seen/photographed many female Slender Spreadwings in the past, but only one male. For the next few weeks, I focused upon finding and photographing mostly males from the cohort. Young male Slender Spreadwings dispersed into nearby fields soon after emergence from the vernal pool.
Young Males
Several Slender Spreadwing damselflies were spotted in a meadow located near a vernal pool from which they probably emerged. All of these individuals are young males, as indicated by their coloration and terminal appendages.
31 May 2016
06 June 2016
10 June 2016
Editor’s Note: This is Part 4 in a five-part series of blog posts documenting a cohort of Slender Spreadwing damselflies that emerged from a single vernal pool at Huntley Meadows Park, presented in reverse-chronological order from mature, reproducing adults to emergent tenerals.
Copyright © 2016 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Tags:Family Lestidae (Spreadwings), Huntley Meadows Park, Lestes rectangularis, Slender Spreadwing damselfly, terminal appendages, vernal pool, wildlife photography, young male
Posted in Aperture, Canon 580EX Speedlite, damselflies, digital photography, natural science, Panasonic DMC-FZ150 | 3 Comments »
July 24, 2016
More young male Halloween Pennant dragonflies (Celithemis eponina) were spotted on 06 July 2016 during a follow-up photowalk at Meadowood Recreation Area (MRA).
The last photo is my favorite in this set. Which photo is your favorite?
Copyright © 2016 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Tags:Celithemis eponina, Halloween Pennant dragonfly, Meadowood Recreation Area, Skimmer Family, wildlife photography, young male
Posted in Aperture, Canon 580EX Speedlite, digital photography, dragonflies, natural science, Panasonic DMC-FZ150, photowalking | 1 Comment »
July 16, 2016
A Halloween Pennant dragonfly (Celithemis eponina) was spotted at Meadowood Recreation Area (MRA). This individual is a young male, as indicated by its coloration, hamules, and terminal appendages.
The coloration of immature male Halloween Pennants is similar to females of the same species: as males mature, their coloration (including the pterostigmata) darkens slowly to orange-red; this “young male” is at a stage between female- and male coloration.
Copyright © 2016 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Tags:Celithemis eponina, Halloween Pennant dragonfly, Meadowood Recreation Area, Skimmer Family, terminal appendages, wildlife photography, young male
Posted in Aperture, Canon 580EX Speedlite, digital photography, dragonflies, natural science, Panasonic DMC-FZ150 | 2 Comments »
June 20, 2015
Bar-winged Skimmer dragonflies (Libellula axilena) look similar to Great Blue Skimmer dragonflies (Libellula vibrans).
Several key field marks can be used to differentiate the two species of dragonflies, as shown in the following annotated images.
Bar-winged Skimmers have dark reddish-brown eyes and a metallic black face; Great Blue Skimmers have blue eyes and a white face. Also notice the Bar-winged Skimmer has a small black bar along the “costa” (the leading edge of both the fore- and hind wings), located between the nodus and pterostigma — hence its common name, “Bar-winged Skimmer”; the Great Blue Skimmer does not.
Side view of Great Blue Skimmer (shown above); dorsal view (shown below).
The following gallery features several more photos of the same Bar-winged Skimmer spotted at Huntley Meadows Park (HMP) on 10 June 2015.
A Bar-winged Skimmer dragonfly (Libellula axilena) spotted at Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax County, Virginia USA. This individual is a mature male.
A Bar-winged Skimmer dragonfly (Libellula axilena) spotted at Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax County, Virginia USA. This individual is a mature male.
A Bar-winged Skimmer dragonfly (Libellula axilena) spotted at Huntley Meadows Park, Fairfax County, Virginia USA. This individual is a mature male.
Copyright © 2015 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Tags:Bar-winged Skimmer dragonfly, cerci, claspers, epiproct, Great Blue Skimmer dragonfly, hemi-marsh, Huntley Meadows Park, Libellula axilena, Libellula vibrans, mature male, nodus, pterostigma, vernal pool, wildlife photography, young male
Posted in Aperture, Canon 580EX Speedlite, digital photography, education, natural science, Panasonic DMC-FZ150, Photoshop | 3 Comments »
June 14, 2015
Slaty Skimmer (Libellula incesta) is a member of the Skimmer Family of dragonflies that is spotted during the summer and fall months at many water bodies in the mid-Atlantic United States, such as the wetlands at Huntley Meadows Park.
Slaty Skimmers display sexual dimorphism. Although mature males and females look different, immature males and females look similar. Terminal appendages may be used to differentiate immature males from females.
Female dragonflies have a pair of cerci (superior appendages) that have little or no function. (See a full-size version of the following image, without annotation.)
Look closely at the full-size version of the preceding annotated image. Female Slaty Skimmers have a pair of flanges beneath their eighth abdominal segment (S8) that are used to scoop water when laying eggs (oviposition), hence the family name “Skimmer.” Remember that all dragonflies and damselflies have a 10-segmented abdomen, numbered from front to back.
Immature male Slaty Skimmers and immature/adult female Slaty Skimmers are nearly identical in appearance except for their terminal appendages. (See a full-size version of the following image, without annotation.)
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”). (See a full-size version of the following image, without annotation.)
This individual is a young male, as indicated by the blue-black partial pruinescence covering his body. He has a slightly malformed wing that is more noticeable in the preceding side view and less noticeable in the following dorsal view.
Black pruinescence that completely covers the body of following mature male Slaty Skimmer makes it look quite different from the immature male (shown above), other than its terminal appendages.
Digital scans by G & J Strickland:
Digital Dragonflies: presenting high-resolution digital scans of living dragonflies.
- Genus Libellula | Libellula incesta | Slaty Skimmer | male | top view
- Genus Libellula | Libellula incesta | Slaty Skimmer | male | side view
Related Resources: Odonate Terminal Appendages.
Copyright © 2015 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Tags:cerci, claspers, epiproct, female, hemi-marsh, Huntley Meadows Park, immature male, Libellula incesta, malformed, mature male, pruinescence, sexual dimorphism, Skimmer Family, Slaty Skimmer dragonfly, terminal appendages, vernal pool, wildlife photography, young male
Posted in Aperture, Canon 580EX Speedlite, digital photography, dragonflies, education, natural science, Panasonic DMC-FZ150, Photoshop | 3 Comments »
May 31, 2015
Twelve-spotted Skimmer (Libellula pulchella) is a member of the Skimmer Family of dragonflies that is spotted during the summer months at many water bodies in the mid-Atlantic United States, such as the wetlands at Huntley Meadows Park (HMP).
Twelve-spotted Skimmers display sexual dimorphism; terminal appendages may be used to differentiate immature males from females.
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”).
The preceding individual is a young male, as indicated by the white partial pruinescence covering his abdomen. In contrast, the abdomen of the following mature male is completely white.
Female dragonflies have a pair of cerci (superior appendages) that have little or no function.
Related Resources: Odonate Terminal Appendages.
Copyright © 2015 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Tags:cerci, claspers, epiproct, female, Huntley Meadows Park, Libellula pulchella, mature male, sexual dimorphism, Skimmer Family, terminal appendages, Twelve-spotted Skimmer dragonfly, vernal pool, wildlife photography, young male
Posted in Aperture, Canon 580EX Speedlite, digital photography, dragonflies, education, natural science, Panasonic DMC-FZ150, Photoshop | Leave a Comment »
May 29, 2015
A Twelve-spotted Skimmer dragonfly (Libellula pulchella) was spotted near a vernal pool at Huntley Meadows Park (HMP). This individual is a young adult male, as indicated by its partial pruinescence, distinctive pattern of wing spots, and terminal appendages. As a mature adult male, its abdomen will be completely covered by white pruinescence.
Among dragonflies that exhibit sexual dimorphism, such as Twelve-spotted Skimmers, immature/young males and females are similar in appearance. The pattern of wing spots is a key field mark for identification of Twelve-spotted Skimmer males and females, in addition to differences in their terminal appendages.
Editor’s Note: With no disrespect intended toward Kevin Munroe, whom I admire and respect, I feel compelled to point out an error on Kevin’s Twelve-spotted Skimmer page. In the lower-right corner of page 1, an immature male is misidentified as a female. Believe me when I tell you Kevin’s expertise far exceeds mine, but hey, only someone like me with a fixation on odonate terminal appendages would have recognized the immature male’s claspers!
Copyright © 2015 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Tags:Huntley Meadows Park, Libellula pulchella, pruinescence, sexual dimorphism, Skimmer Family, terminal appendages, Twelve-spotted Skimmer dragonfly, vernal pool, wildlife photography, young male
Posted in Aperture, Canon 580EX Speedlite, digital photography, dragonflies, natural science, Panasonic DMC-FZ150 | Leave a Comment »
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