Mike Powell

I really like Blue Dasher dragonflies. They are quite common and visible throughout most of the summer. Unlike some other dragonfly species that require specific habitats, Blue Dashers (Pachydiplax longipennis) can be found almost anywhere.

I really like the description of the species on the Dragonflies of Northern Virginia website, one of my favorite resources for information about the dragonflies in my area:

“A very little guy in a big hungry world, Blue Dashers make up for their small size with plenty of moxie. Just about everything eats them…but it certainly hasn’t affected their numbers. The most abundant dragonfly in our area, they face their predator-filled worlds head on. Males aggressively defend their small, shore-line territories against larger skimmers, and spend a great deal of time with their black-tipped abdomens pointed high in the air – an aggressive threat display. It’s also a technique used to cool down by reducing surface area to the sun, called the obelisk position. However, Dashers use it more than other species, and half the time it appears to be done for the purpose of territorial display, rather than temperature control.”

I spotted this Blue Dasher on Monday at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge. I couldn’t get really close to the dragonfly, but like the way that the abundant vegetation helped to frame the dragonfly.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.