What’s a Mocha Emerald? No, it’s not the newest Seattle coffee craze—it’s a dragonfly.
I was thrilled this past Friday to spot a type of dragonfly at Huntley Meadows Park that I had never seen before—a Mocha Emerald (Somatochlora linearis). Fellow photographer and blogger, Walter Sanford, saw some in the park earlier in the summer, but I thought that it was probably too late for me to find one. It’s nice to be surprised.
Initially, I didn’t know what type of dragonfly I had photographed and knew only that its body shape was different from the ones that I had seen previously. Serendipitously, later in the day l ran into the manager of the park, Kevin Munroe, a noted dragonfly expert who runs the website Dragonflies of Northern Virginia, and he helped me make a tentative identification.
This one has somewhat tattered wings–it looks like he had a tough summer.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
He does look battle scarred but it adds a lot of interest to the photo and stimulates the imagination. Maybe he’s king of the marsh.
It’s getting late in the season for these guys. In a few short weeks, many of the dragonflies will be gone. I am amazed at the amount of wing damage that dragonflies and butterflies can sustain and still function. I don’t really know if the damage comes from predators, but suspect that some of it comes from chasing prey into thorny bushes, which probably shred their wings as easily as they do the same with my clothes.
By the look of the tattered clothing you were wearing last Friday, I think you’ll need to buy some new duds during the off-season. 😉 I’m telling you folks, Mike *earns* many of the photos he shoots!
I figure that I should tear up a only certain number of pairs of pants in a season, so I’ll wear the shredded ones when I suspect that I will be going among the thorns (which is pretty often).
Nice shot of a latte-season Mocha. (Yuk-yuk!) According to Kevin Munroe’s calendar of “Flight Periods,” Mocha Emerald season ends in mid-September. In my experience, Mocha season peaks during mid-July. This individual is a male, as indicated by the “indentations” in its hind wings. (Look at the base of the wings, alongside its abdomen.) http://dragonfliesnva.com/My%20Documents/KevinPDF/pdf/identify/FlightTimeCalendar-NEW.pdf
I’ve not heard of this variety before, but of course, there are most certainly a vast number of varieties of which I have not heard. I am often delighted by the fanciful “common” names that folks have come up with to describe them–some of ours in Minnesota include the Ebony Boghaunter, Red Saddlebags, and (my favorite) Stygian Shadowdragon.
Wow. You seem to have a market there on macabre monikers for dragonflies.
Cool hot shot from the dragonfly!
I like it too!
I have your Blog seen by Bruce.
Hugs Riv
Thanks. I am glad that you enjoyed the photo.
Lovely shot he look like a fighter. Its a great name none the less 🙂
Just amazing colours on the head Lovely shot
Very beautiful. Very well captured too.
Thanks for your encouraging words, Marie.
I’m really enjoying your photos, so glad I found your site.