I was surprised and delighted to spot this Black-shouldered Spinyleg dragonfly (Dromogomphus spinosus) last week as I was exploring a mucky area in a local park. It was the kind of habitat where I hoped to spot Gray Petaltails and I was successful in doing so, as documented in my blog posting a few days ago called Gray Petaltail dragonfly in May.
However, I did not expect to find Black-shouldered Spinylegs, which in the past I have found most often near open streams. In fact, I must confess that I had no idea what kind of dragonfly it was when it flew by and landed on some large skunk cabbage leaves. Fortunately, I reacted quickly and manage to capture a few shots before the dragonfly flew away.
When I reviewed my photos later on my computer, I was struck by the length of the dragonfly’s back legs. If you click on the image to zoom in, you can’t help but notice the sharp spines that look to be as large and pointed as the thorns in the vegetation that frequently tear at my pantlegs. Those large leg spines help the Black-shouldered Spinyleg to capture and to hold on to prey (and help to explain the origin of the name of the species).
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 