Spangled Skimmer Dragonfly (Libellula cyanea)

Spangled Skimmer Dragonfly (Libellula cyanea)

A bit torn and tattered, but still able to catch insects like this Spotted Cucumber Beetle removed from our garden.


Spangled Skimmers are common in eastern North America as far west as Kansas and Texas.  Males are blue.  Females are brown with yellow stripes.  They prefer well-vegetated ponds and lakes and slow-moving sections of streams.  (BugGuide)

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Spangled Skimmer Dragonfly (Libellula cyanea)

Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis)

Female Eastern Pondhawk

Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis)

Range:  Quebec and Maine to Florida, west to Mexico, north to Washington.
Food:  Smaller flying insects.
Habitat:  Primarily ponds. Adults often perch on the ground.

Eastern Pondhawk - Male

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Female and young male Eastern Pondhawks are green with square, black spots on their abdomens.  As they age, males turn blue.  This male Pondhawk photographed by Jo is still showing just a little bit of green on its thorax.  BugGuide has and excellent series of photos showing both male and female Pondhawks are various stages of development.

Although we live up on a rocky ridge, there are evidently enough stock ponds around to provide suitable dragonfly habitat.

BugGuide 

eNature 

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Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis)

Common Green Darner (Anax junius) -- Male

(Photo by Jo on 10/18/09)

A common dragonfly found throughout the United States and most of Canada. The large black spot in front of the eyes is distinctive for this species and is found on both males and females. Please see BugGuide for more identification characteristics.

A close up of the genitalia indicates this is a male Common Green Darner. For comparison, please see this image of female genitalia on BugGuide.

Adult A. junius are strong fliers and can be found just about everywhere, though they do have a preference for area near larval habitat: Still marshy waters, fresh and slightly brackish. We've seen several of these dragonflies over the past few days though our ridge does not qualify as prime larval habitat. I suppose they were just migrating through our area.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

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Common Green Darner (Anax junius) -- Male

Blue Dasher Dragonfly (Pachydiplax longipennis)

Juvenile Male Blue Dasher

Blue Dasher Dragonfly (Pachydiplax longipennis)

Range: Much of the United States, and just edging into Canada. In the United States, absent from the Dakotas and the Rocky Mountain region. Range continues into Mexico.

Habitat: Ponds, lakes, marshes, and bogs. Can be found almost anywhere there is still water. Larva is highly tolerant of wetlands with poor water quality and low dissolved-oxygen levels.

Male and female Blue Dashers are marked differently. However, young males are marked like females and change into a typical male coloration as they reach adulthood.

BugGuide has an excellent Blue Dasher resource page with dozens of photo showing various stages of male and female development.



Female Blue Dasher Dragonfly

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Blue Dasher Dragonfly (Pachydiplax longipennis)

Eastern Pondhawk

Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis)

We don't get a lot of dragonflies up here on Star Mountain, but occasionally one like this male Eastern Pondhawk wanders through.

Stephen Cresswell's excellent dragonfly and damselfly site explains the identification characteristics for male and female Eastern Pondhawks if you're interested.

Eastern Pondhawk

Gray Pedaltail

Gray Petaltail Dragonfly (Tachopteryx thoreyi)

A gray dragonfly with clear wings perched on lichens and tree bark doesn't make for the most dramatic of nature photos, but at least the Pipevine Swallowtail it's having for lunch shows up well.

ID Source: BugGuide

Gray Pedaltail