Yesterday the fields at Huntley Meadows Park were abuzz with beautiful emerald-and-black dragonflies. As I walked through the grass, the Eastern Pondhawks (Erythemis simplicicollis) would fly up to about knee level and then settle back down on the ground or perch on some low hanging plants.
The dragonflies were a bit skittish and it was a bit of a challenge to get clear shots of them. Occasionally one of them would fly to a slightly higher perch and permit me to get a shot like the first one that separates the subject from the background. Long-time readers of this blog know that I will usually try to move it as close as I can and I was happy to get this close-up shot of an Eastern Pondhawk that lets you see some of the facets of its amazing compound eyes.
All of the Eastern Pondhawks had the same beautiful green coloration. Eventually the male Eastern Pondhawks will turn blue, but this early in the season the juvenile male have the same coloration as the females. How do you tell them apart? My fellow photographer and blogger Walter Sanford is an expert on this subject, but in this case even I can tell the difference by looking at the terminal appendages.
In the shot below, you can tell it is a male because the white cerci at the end of the abdomen are long and close together.
Juvenile Male Eastern Pondhawk
By contrast, the white cerci of the female are shorter and more widely spaced, as in the photo below.
Female Eastern Pondhawk
That just about exhausts my knowledge of dragonfly anatomy. My focus is mostly on capturing their beauty, but it is amazing how much I learn along the way about these fascinating little creatures.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Excellent shots, that face shot is amazing.. 🙂
Enjoyed the photos and the discussion. I love (trying to) photograph dragonflies.
Thanks, Gary. Dragonflies are a joy and a frustration for me. Some species are easy to photograph, while others seem almost impossible to capture (i.e. the ones that are in constant flight).
Mike – I learn so much from your posts! Dragonfly Sex Ed!
You have learned your lessons well, Luke. Signed, Yoda.
These are fantastic photos, especially that close up! Great detail and dead sharp.
I hope I’ll see a dragonfly or two sometime soon. I’m not sure where they’re all hiding.
Thanks, Allen. This early in the year they are sometimes in the fields and in the areas near the edge of the woods. Many of the earliest appearing species prefer very specific habitats. We are now seeing many of the habitat generalists appearing here in Virginia, like the Eastern Pondhawk and the Common Whitetail. It shouldn’t be long before you see some, given your keen powers of observation that you demonstrate in each posting.
Really interesting post to illustrate the differences between male and female dragonfly. What fantastic colours these have and the close up is fantastic, Mike! Great work!
Great shots! I hope we get dragonflies here too soon 🙂