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Archive for the ‘dragonfly’ Category

Dragonfly and mites

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , , , on July 5, 2024| 5 Comments »

I photographed this male Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa) on Tuesday at Occoquan Regional Park. As I was working on the image, I noted that the dragonfly had an infestation of what look to be red water mites on at least two of its wings. You may need to click on the images to zoom in and you should be able to see some small red spherical objects that I am pretty sure are water mites.

According to Wikipedia, these water mites, likely from the genus Arrenurus, “establish an association for the purpose of transportation and nutrients, and attach to the host during the host’s transition from larva to adult.” Although these mites do not kill the dragonfly hosts, studies “show that parasitism by the mites affect the host’s longevity and fecundity by draining its tissue fluids, hampering copulation and interfering with sperm transfer.” Yikes!

 

Widow Skimmer

Widow Skimmer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Smiling dragonfly

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Portraits, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on July 3, 2024| 3 Comments »

Can dragonflies smile? Although I realize that it is probably an anatomical impossibility, this female Great Blue Skimmer dragonfly (Libellula vibrans) sure did look like she was smiling at me when she posed for this little portrait last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

Great Blue Skimmers are quite common in our area during the summer and are relatively easy to identify because of their white faces.

Great Blue Skimmer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Carolina Saddlebags dragonfly

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Landscape, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on July 2, 2024| 1 Comment »

I do not see Carolina Saddlebags dragonflies (Tramea carolina) very often and when I am lucky enough to spot one, it is almost always in flight. According to the Dragonflies of Northern Virginia website, “Carolina Saddlebags appear to stick to shallow, thickly vegetated ponds and marshlands,” which is a pretty good description of the place where I spotted this one last Tuesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The same website described the Carolina Saddlebag’s flight tendencies as “Strong flier, often high, rarely perches.”

I spent some time that day watching several male Calico Pennant dragonflies, which are red and has patterned wings, as they flew around over the pond—check out yesterday’s posting to see a photo of a perched male Calico Pennant.  Suddenly a larger red dragonfly flew into view—Calico Pennants are approximately 1.3 inches (33 mm) in length, while Carolina Saddlebags are 2.0 inches (51 mm). I visually tracked the Carolina Saddlebags for a while and was able to follow it as it perched high on a stalk of vegetation in an adjacent field.

I was shooting into the light and at a sharp upward angle, which meant that I risked creating a silhouetted image of the back side of the dragonfly. I crouched a little to create a sky/trees background and waited for the dragonfly to give me a profile view. For a brief moment, my wishes came true and I captured the image below.

The image is far from perfect, but I like the way that it turned out. The focus on the dragonfly is a little soft, but I think it works well with the blurred background, creating an aesthetically pleasing little image.

Carolina Saddlebags

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Male Calico Pennant Dragonfly

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on July 1, 2024| 5 Comments »

When male Calico Pennant (Celithemis elisa) dragonflies are immature, they have yellow markings on their bodies similar to those of the females. As the males mature, those markings turn bright red. I was thrilled to spot several mature male Calico Pennants last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife, the first adult males of this species that I have encountered this year.

The bright body markings and the prominent wing patches really make this dragonfly stand out, although they are quite small, about 1.2 inches (30 mm) in length.

Calico Pennant

Calico Pennant

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Needham’s Skimmer (female)

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on June 29, 2024| 2 Comments »

There has been a recent explosion of dragonflies at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, my favorite location for photographing these beautiful aerial acrobats. I spotted hundreds and hundreds of dragonflies this past Tuesday as I explored the trails at the refuge.

One of the species that I encountered most frequently that day was the Needham’s Skimmer (Libellula needhami). The Dragonflies of Northern Virginia website provided a wonderful description of the Needham’s Skimmer. “This dashing summer dragonfly, a member of the king skimmer genus, makes quite a splash at the shallow, marshy wetlands it prefers. Relatively skittish, it spends more time on the wing and less time perching than other king skimmers.”

At this time of the year the males and females have a similar coloration, but as they mature the males will turn reddish-orange. The dragonfly in this photo is a female—it is easy to tell from the terminal appendages at the end of the abdomen. I love the bright yellow vein on the wings of this dragonfly, a feature that is shared by the males as well as the females of the species.

Needham's Skimmer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Living on the edge

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on June 28, 2024| 9 Comments »

The breeze was kicking up a bit and this Halloween Pennant dragonfly seemed to be holding on for dear life when I spotted in on Tuesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. It seems to be that it would be safer and more secure to grasp the stalk a bit lower, but, like other members of the pennant family of dragonflies, this Halloween Pennant is a bit of a thrill seeker.

As the old adage, often attributed to John A. Shedd, states, “A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” Sometimes, I think, it is good for us to step out of our comfort zones, which can turn into ruts if we are not careful, and take a risk by living life on the edge, like this Halloween Pennant dragonfly.

Halloween Pennant

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Female Unicorn Clubtail

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on June 27, 2024| 1 Comment »

I was excited to spot this female Unicorn Clubtail dragonfly (Arigomphus villosipes) on Tuesday at Occoquan Bay Wildlife Refuge, one of the few times that I have seen a female of this species. I am not sure if the females hang out in different areas from the males, which perch prominently on low vegetation or logs at water’s edge, or if, like some human females, they are simply playing “hard to get” and wait to meet the males on their own terms.

As noted on the excellent Dragonflies of Northern Virginia website, Unicorn Clubtails are “the only clubtail in Northern VA that prefers ponds and marshes, over streams and rivers…our only clubtail that can be found in completely still, stagnant water.” I know that is true for the males that I have featured already a couple of time this season on this blog, but is it also true for female Unicorn Clubtails?

How do you explain the behavior of females? It is one of the mysteries of life.

Unicorn Clubtail

Unicorn Clubtail

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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First Banded Pennant of 2024

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on June 25, 2024| 4 Comments »

During a short visit to Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge last Friday I spotted my first Banded Pennant dragonfly (Celithemis fasciata) of the year. Pennant dragonflies like this one often perch precariously on the very tips of vegetation, which causes them to flap about in even the slightest of breezes, like a pennant.

Banded Pennants are somewhat uncommon and in some years I have not seen a single one, so I was happy to encounter this handsome male, the only one I saw all day. As you can see in all of the photos below, the dragonfly’s upper left wing did not seem to straighten out as much as the other three wings. From what I could see, though, the dragonfly was able to fly quite well despite this injury or deformity.

Banded Pennant

Banded Pennant

Banded Pennant

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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First Swift Setwing of 2024

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , on June 24, 2024| 2 Comments »

I was thrilled to spot my first Swift Setwing dragonfly (Dythemis velox) of the season this past Friday at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge. These little dragonflies perch in a distinctive pose with their wings pulled forward, which looked to some scientist like the “ready-set-go” position of a sprinter and is reportedly the reason for the name of the species.

Eight years ago I spotted my first Swift Setwing dragonfly ever at this same location. This primarily southern species had never before have been documented in Fairfax County, Virginia, the county where I live, so it is kind of special for me to see them each year. (You can see details of that first sighting in my 25 June 2016 posting Swift Setwing dragonfly.)

Swift Setwings like to perch facing the water on overhanging vegetation, so it is a challenge to get a shot of one without getting my feet wet.  I had to find a little visual tunnel through the vegetation to get this shot, but I did manage to stay dry.

Swift Setwing

 

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Another Unicorn Clubtail dragonfly

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on June 22, 2024| Leave a Comment »

There must be something special about this perch. One week after I photographed a Unicorn Clubtail dragonfly (Arigomphus villosipes) on a log at the edge of a small pond at Occoquan Regional Park, I  spotted another Unicorn Clubtail in the exact same spot. Perhaps it was even the same individual, hanging out in the same old places, as this wildlife photographer is wont to do.

The edge of the pond is very mucky, so I couldn’t get any closer to give you a better view of the little “horn” that sticks up between the eyes and gives rise to the name “unicorn.” You’ll have to trust me on that point or check out a 2017 blog post entitled Unicorn in Northern Virginia that includes a better view of the unicorn “horn.”

We are in the midst of a real heat wave, with daily temperatures soaring into the mid-90’s (35 degrees C), so my wildlife forays are shorter than normal. Don’t worry, I am taking it slow, seeking shade whenever possible, and carrying water with me. Forecasters predict that this heat wave will continue for at least another week.  Yikes!

Unicorn Clubtail

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Petaltail and prey

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , on June 21, 2024| 3 Comments »

When I spotted this Gray Petaltail dragonfly (Tachopteryx thoreyi) on Monday at Occoquan Regional Park, I could see that it was feasting on some kind of insect that it had caught, but I could not get close enough to identify the prey. Dragonflies are fierce predators that feed on a wide variety of insects, sometimes including other dragonflies or damselflies.

When I examine the image carefully I can just make out the wings and legs and possibly an eye of the victim, but that does not help me to identify it. The dragonfly was perched high on the trunk of the tree and when I tried to move closer to get a better shot, the sharp angle made it even harder to see what was going on. I was happy enough to capture this profile view of the Gray Petaltail, which would otherwise have been pretty well camouflaged by the rough bark of the tree.

Gray Petaltail

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Widow Skimmer (male)

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, Summer, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on June 20, 2024| 6 Comments »

Many dragonflies have transparent wings that seem to disappear when they are flying, making them look even smaller and hard to detect. Male Widow Skimmer dragonflies (Libellula luctuosa), however, have such large bi-colored patches on their wings that they look almost like butterflies when in flight, an impression heightened by the fluttering way that they fly.

I was thrilled when I spotted this male Widow Skimmer—the females of this species do not have the white wing patches—on Monday at Occoquan Regional Park. The dragonfly flew by me numerous times and I watched and waiting, hoping that it would land.  My patience eventually paid off and I was able to capture this shot that shows off its wings beautifully. This may not be the most artistic image that I have ever captured, but it is a good one to use for the purpose of identification.

One of the coolest things about photography is that it can be both scientific and artistic, allowing me to be as geeky as I want in either domain.

Widow Skimmer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Female Sable Clubtail dragonfly

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on June 19, 2024| 2 Comments »

Sable Clubtail dragonflies (Stenogomphurus rogersi) are uncommon in my area. This dragonfly species is generally found only in very small numbers, has a short flight period, and requires very specific habitats, preferably a small, clean forest stream. There is only one location in my area where I have found Sable Clubtails in the past and some years I have not seen a single one.

I was therefore really excited on Monday when I spotted what I thought might be a Sable Clubtail. I was not sure of my identification, though, because this dragonfly was in a different location at the park, not along the stream where I had seen Sable Clubtails in the past.

When I returned home and examined my photos on my computer, I was shocked to see that the dragonfly was a female–I am pretty sure that all of the Sable Clubtails that I have previously seen were males. For the sake of comparison, I have added a photo of a male that was part of a posting I did on 10 June 2024 entitled Sable Clubtail dragonfly (male). If you look closely at the tip of the abdomen (the “tail”) of each dragonfly, you will see different shaped terminal appendages, which are key factors in helping to identify the gender of a dragonfly.

Different dragonfly species have different courting behaviors. In some cases, the males and females are present in the same area, but in other cases, the females remain in a different area until they are actually ready for mating. I looked through my resources and on-line to see if I could find any information about the behavior of Sable Clubtail females, but came up empty-handed.

Where do female Sable Clubtails like to hang out? With a sample size of only one, I certainly can’t come to any conclusions, but I will continue to keep my eyes open and perhaps I will encounter another one.

Sable Clubtail

Sable Clubtail

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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At water’s edge

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on June 16, 2024| 3 Comments »

Most of the time when I spot Eastern Amberwing dragonflies (Perithemis tenera) they are busily flying about over the water, but this handsome little guy decided to rest a bit in the vegetation at the water’s edge on Thursday at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge.

Most of the summer dragonflies have now arrived on the scene, so I may not be featuring any new species for a while. However, I am content to photograph my familiar “friends,” always hoping to capture them in different perches, activities, or lighting conditions. Each moment gives me a new chance to capture something beautiful and/or unusual. Beauty is everywhere.

Eastern Amberwing

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Slaty Skimmer dragonflies

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on June 15, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Slaty Skimmers (Libellula incesta) have now started to appear at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge, signaling to me that summer is almost here. During the hottest months of the year, Slaty Skimmers are one of the commonly seen dragonfly species in my area, in part because they are habitat generalists—you can find them everywhere,

The greyish-blue bodies and dark eyes of the mature male Slaty Skimmers make them easy to identify. The immature members of this species, however, are a lot harder to identify, because they are similar in appearance to the young of several other species in the area. Fortunately for me, the Slaty Skimmers in these two photos, the first that I have photographed in 2024, are both mature males.

Slaty Skimmer

Slaty Skimmer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Prince Baskettail dragonfly in flight

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on June 14, 2024| 5 Comments »

When I spotted a dragonfly patrolling over the water of a small pond yesterday at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge, I knew almost immediately that it was a Prince Baskettail dragonfly (Epitheca princeps). How could I tell? As it flew by, I could catch glimpses of the dark patches on its wings and the Prince Baskettail is the only large dragonfly with patterned wings in our area. (Prince Baskettails are almost three inches (76 mm) in length).

Seeing the dragonfly in flight was easy, but getting a clear shot of it was a considerable challenge. I watched the dragonfly and was able to determine its approximate patrol area. When it flew into that area, I attempted to track it, sometimes using my camera’s autofocus and sometimes focusing manually. Most of my shots were out of focus or did not include the dragonfly in the frame, but I managed to get a few decent shots, with the image below being the best of the lot.

Some of my fellow wildlife photographers marvel at images like this and think that high end gear or special techniques are necessary. The reality, though, is that I use relatively modest equipment and the “secret” to my success quite often is a combination of patience, practice, and persistence.

Prince Baskettail

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Lotus pose

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Flowers, Nature, Photography, plants, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on June 11, 2024| Leave a Comment »

I love photographing dragonflies as they perch on lotus flowers and lotus buds. Alas, the lotuses were not yet in bloom last week when I visited Green Spring Gardens, a nearby county-run garden that has a small pond with a few lotuses and water lilies.

Fortunately quite a few dragonflies were buzzing around the pond and I managed to capture this image of a male Blue Dasher dragonfly (Pachydiplax longipennis) as he perched on the tip of a rolled-up lotus leaf. I like the way that the texture of the leaf adds visual interest to the image, something that would be absent if the dragonfly had perched on a bare branch.

I will probably return to the gardens in a few weeks to see if I can get some shots of the lotuses when they are blooming. As I recall, lotuses seem to enjoy the hazy, hot, and humid days that are far too common during the summer in the Washington D.C. area.

Blue Dasher

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Sable Clubtail dragonfly (male)

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , on June 10, 2024| 4 Comments »

I love the stunning green eyes of this male Sable Clubtail dragonfly (Stenogomphurus rogersi) that I spotted last week while exploring a small stream in Fairfax County, Virginia. The eyes look like they are made out of malachite or some similar semi-precious stone.

Sable Clubtails are generally found only in very small numbers, have a short flight period, and require very specific habitats—this species prefers small, clean forest streams. There is only one location in my area where I have found this species in the past and some years I have not seen a single one. I was therefore really excited when I manage to get some shots of this somewhat uncommon dragonfly species last Monday.

Sable Clubtail

Sable Clubtail

Sable Clubtail

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Unicorn Clubtail in June

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on June 9, 2024| 5 Comments »

Do you believe in unicorns? I am always delighted when I manage to spot a Unicorn Clubtail (Arigomphus villosipes), a beautiful dragonfly species in which both sexes have a small hornlike projection between their eyes that gives rise to their common name—you can’t really see the “horn” in these photos, so you’ll have to take my word on it. I spotted the dragonfly in this posting while exploring a small pond in Fairfax County, where I live.

It is fairly easy to identify this species, because of the rusty-edged club at the bottom portion of the dragonfly’s abdomen and its very visible bright tip. Male Unicorn Clubtails tend to fly short patrols and perch quite often on low vegetation.  It is not hard to spot them if I am in the appropriate environment, which is usually a pond or marsh, unlike most other clubtail dragonflies that prefer rivers and streams.

Chasing unicorns and dragons? That is how I enjoy spending my time in the wild.

Unicorn Clubtail

Unicorn Clubtail

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Eastern Pondhawk (male)

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on June 8, 2024| 6 Comments »

When male Eastern Pondhawk dragonflies (Erythemis simplicicollis) are very young, they have green bodies with dark banding on the abdomen, just like their female counterparts. Over time male Eastern Pondhawks are gradually transformed into a duller shade of blue and finally a powdery bluish-grey.

From an aesthetic point of view, my favorite stage of development is when they are young males and their thoraxes are a beautiful shade of green that contrasts wonderfully with their blue abdomens. Eastern Pondhawks of both genders have cool-looking green faces that help to distinguish them immediately from other dragonfly species.

I spotted this Eastern Pondhawk during a recent visit to Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge, a small refuge that belongs to a nearby military installation. It is not a contiguous part of that installation, however, and is open to the public. The composition of this shot is quite simple, but I like the way that the Y-shape of the forked branch helps to divide up the frame and lead the viewer’s eyes to the main subject.

Eastern Pondhawk

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Female Widow Skimmer

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on June 7, 2024| 3 Comments »

On Monday I photographed this female Widow Skimmer dragonfly (Libellula luctuosa) at Occoquan Regional Park, my first sighting of this species in 2024. Why is it called a “Widow Skimmer?” Someone apparently thought the dark patches on the wings of this species looked like the mourning crepe that historically widows wore and even a portion of its Latin name “luctuosa” means “sorrowful.”

The dark wing patches are quite distinctive and may it relatively easy to identify this species. The males of the species, which I did not see at all that day, have patches of white in addition to the same dark wing patches of the female and their bodies are blue in color when they are mature. Click on this link to see some photos of a male Widow Skimmer from a few years ago.

Widow Skimmer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Great Blue Skimmer dragonfly

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Nature, Photography, Portraits, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on June 6, 2024| Leave a Comment »

On Monday I played a little game of peekaboo with this Great Blue Skimmer (Libellula vibrans) dragonfly at Occoquan Regional Park. As I approached, the dragonfly hunkered down and was almost hidden from view. I stopped and waited and eventually the Great Blue Skimmer lifted its head, looked right at me, and appeared to smile.

The second shot provides a more traditional view of this species, highlighting its beautiful speckled eyes and white face that help in distinguishing it from other blue dragonflies in our area. Great Blue Skimmers are quite common in my area during the summer, but this was one of first ones that I spotted this year.

Great Blue Skimmer

Great Blue Skimmer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Climbing a tree?

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on June 5, 2024| 3 Comments »

This Gray Petaltail dragonfly (Tachopteryx thoreyi) looked like it was trying to climb a small tree when I spotted it from a distance on Monday at Occoquan Regional Park in Lorton, Virginia. I was happy to be able to capture this shot from the side, because when Gray Petaltails perch flat against a tree, they become virtually invisible—their black and gray coloration causes them to blend in perfectly with the rough bark of a tree.

Gray Petaltail

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Spangled Skimmer dragonflies

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on June 3, 2024| 5 Comments »

Dragonfly identification can sometimes be quite difficult—many species, and especially the females of the species, are similar in color and in markings. There are, for example, quite a few blue male dragonflies with females that are yellow and brown, like these Spangled Skimmers (Libellula cyanea) that I spotted last week at Occoquan Regional Park.

Fortunately, however, this dragonfly is quite easy to identify  because of its unique black and white stigmata, the spots on the outer leading edge of each wing. As far as I know, no other dragonfly in our area has bicolor stigmata. The stigmata are not there for decoration, but serve an important role in the flight of dragonflies. I do not really understand the physics of flight, but have read that the stigmata are heavier than the adjoining cells and help to stabilize the vibrations of the wings.

Now that we are into June, I have noticed that most of the summer dragonflies have appeared on the scene. There are a few that I have not yet spotted, but with a little luck I will see (and photograph) them soon.

Spangled Skimmer

Spangled Skimmer

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Sharing the perch

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , , , on June 2, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Male dragonflies can be quite aggressive in fighting off potential rivals, but they seem somewhat more tolerant of males from a different species. This past Wednesday I spotted two dragonflies peacefully coexisting and sharing a perch at Occoquan Regional Park.

The dragonfly perched near the top of the branch is a male Spangled Skimmer (Libellula cyanea) and the one perched a bit lower is a male Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia). I have already seen quite a few Common Whitetails this season, but this Spangled Skimmer was one of the first that I have spotted this yea.

Spangled Skimmer and Common Whitetail

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Obelisk pose

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , , on May 31, 2024| 2 Comments »

I know that summer is almost here when I start to see Blue Dasher dragonflies (Pachydiplax longipennis) at my local ponds and they will some become our the most abundant dragonfly species in our area. Mature Male Blue Dashers are blue, as their name suggests, but females have a black and yellow pattern on their abdomens, like the one pictured below that I photographed on Tuesday at Jackson Mile Abbott Wetland Refuge.

Quite often Blue Dashers perch on vegetation in the “obelisk” pose, with their abdomens raised up into an almost vertical position. It is thought that this pose is a type of thermoregulation, with the raised abdomen reducing the amount of exposure to the direct sunlight and thereby keeping the dragonfly’s body a bit cooler.

Blue Dashers are sentimentally special to me because my very first posting on this blog on July 7, 2012 featured a male Blue Dasher dragonfly in an obelisk pose. In case you are curious, here is a link to that posting that was simply entitled Blue Dasher dragonfly.

Blue Dasher

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Twisted rebar perch

Posted in Art, Dragonflies, dragonfly, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , , , on May 30, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Whenever I visit Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge, I never fail to check a spot near a fishing platform where there is a piece of twisted rebar sticking out of the water. In the past, I have seen dragonflies of various species perching on the rebar and it provides a wonderful photographic opportunity, assuming that the dragonfly does not immediately fly away. I generally prefer to photograph dragonflies on natural perches, not on manmade ones, but this is a case when I am more than happy to break that “rule.”

On Tuesday I was delighted to spot a male Eastern Amberwing dragonfly (Perithemis tenera) perched on the aforementioned piece of rebar. I love the contrast between the colors, patterns, and textures of the natural object, the dragonfly, and those of the man-made subject, the rebar. The floating debris on the surface of the pond helps to break up the mostly uniform background without being visually distracting.

I have taken similar shots to this one multiple times, but I don’t mind repeating myself. Each encounter is unique and subtly different. As the Greek philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus is reported to have said, “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man.”

Eastern Amberwing

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Perching lightly

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on May 28, 2024| 3 Comments »

I love the light and delicate pose of this handsome male Calico Pennant dragonfly (Celithemis elisa) that I spotted during a recent visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Pennant dragonflies, like the Calico Pennant, usually perch on the very tips of vegetation where they sway in the slightest breeze—like a pennant.

The red of the dragonfly’s body and the green of the vegetation help the dragonfly to “pop,” because red and green are complementary colors, i.e. they are directly opposite each other on the traditional color wheel that artists use.

Callico Pennant

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Brown Spiketail dragonfly

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on May 25, 2024| 3 Comments »

I was delighted to spot this cool-looking Brown Spiketail dragonfly (Cordulegaster bilineata) this past Wednesday at Occoquan Regional Park in Lorton, Virginia. I was hoping to get a closer shot, but the dragonfly did not hang around very long before flying away.

Fortunately I was shooting with a relatively long lens—I was at the long end of my Tamron 18-400mm zoom lens—and was able to capture a good deal of detail of the dragonfly, including its stunning two-toned compound eyes. The dragonfly appeared to be barely hanging on to the vegetation when I took this shot, which may partially account for its swift departure.

Brown Spiketail

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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First Eastern Amberwing of 2024

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on May 24, 2024| 4 Comments »

I know that summer is almost here when dragonflies like this male Eastern Amberwing (Perithemis tenera) begin to appear. I spotted this distinctive-looking dragonfly on Tuesday at a small pond at Jackson Miles Abbott Wetland Refuge.

Eastern Amberwings are really small at about one inch (25 mm) in length. According to the Dragonflies of Northern Virginia website, the Eastern Amberwing is “the smallest dragonfly in Northern Virginia, and second smallest in the U.S. (only Elfin Skimmers are smaller), Amberwings are fascinating little insects. No bigger than a horsefly or paperwasp, nature still found a way to pack a lot into this tiny package.”

These little dragonflies are considered to be wasp mimics, “Amberwings may be our only dragonfly that actively mimics a wasp. The markings and shape of their abdomens resemble a small wasp, but they take it several steps further. When threatened, they rhythmically move their wings up and down while pulsing their abdomens. All to imitate a wasp, we think, so as to scare off potential predators that believe they’re about to be stung.”

I love the stunning amber wings that are found on only the males of this species—the females have patterned wings that are mostly clear. As you can see in both photos, the male’s wings are quite transparent despite their darker color. I also really like the intricate patterns and markings on the abdomens of Eastern Amberwing dragonflies.

I look forward to seeing more and more Eastern Amberwings over the course of the next five months or so. Some summer dragonfly species have not yet appeared, but I am seeing more and more dragonflies as the temperatures rise and the hours of sunlight are extended.

Eastern Amberwing

Eastern Amberwing

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Dappled dragonfly

Posted in Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , on May 20, 2024| 2 Comments »

I photographed this stunning Lancet Clubtail dragonfly (Phanogomphus exilis) last Monday on a rotten log in the dappled sunlight as I was exploring an area near a creek in Prince William County, Virginia. Of course, I was excited to photograph this dragonfly, but it was actually the interesting lighting and the rough texture of the log that  mainly captured my attention.

Lancet Clubtail

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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