I spent a lot of time tracking this Common Green Darner (Anax junius) as it patrolled over a field of vegetation yesterday in Prince William County and was thrilled when it finally perched for a moment. Like most darners, this one was hanging vertically and as I got closer, I was immediately struck by the muted color of its abdomen.
I could tell from its terminal appendages that it was a female and I suddenly realized that most of the Common Green Darners I have photographed in the past have been males that often have bright blue abdomens. It had never really struck me that female Common Green Darners have tan-colored abdomens. It is not that surprising, though, because, as is the case in much of the animal kingdom, female dragonflies generally tend to have more subdued colors than their more ostentatious male counterparts.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
That is an unusual and beautiful shade of green, she has there. There is such detail in your photos. Wow!
Her colors almost match the background with the green leaves and the grayish brown branches. The camouflage made it a little harder to get this shot, but it worked out pretty well. 🙂
Yes! It worked out beautifully. Thank you.
It is the supreme joy of nature to keep finding out more about our wild friends. I loved hearing of your discovery, Mike, and this photo is a delight.
What color socks do they darn? 🙂
I guess that socks are the only things that people darn any more, though I suspect that the younger generations don’t even do that. I remember that my Mom had a darning egg with a handle that was supposed to help retain the shape of the sock when darning. Regarding dragonflies and darning, I recall hearing of an old superstition that dragonflies may sew up the eyes, ears, or mouth of a sleeping child, especially one who has misbehaved. Yikes!
Wow! Might want to stay clear of those darners!! 🙂
Very Nice Mike! Always enjoy your Dragonfly Images!! I have only seen 3 here so far this year, but too far off to photograph.
Hopefully you have a lot more dragonflies on the way, Reed. I have had an unusually good start to this dragonfly season and hope my good fortune continues.
Lucky you to finally photograph a female Darner. She looks UNcommon to me! Keep those photos coming!
Thanks, Molly. I too dislike names that include “Common” because some of them I see so rarely and the ones that I do tend to be uncommonly beautiful.
Thank you for your patience to get such magnificent photos. I so admire great photos. Thank you again.
Thanks, Judy.