Saturday, June 07, 2008

Unidentified Dragonflies


I find dragonflies fascinating and beautiful. Also, I find them very difficult to identify. I found this dragonfly last week at the edge of a meadow near some Pines. I wonder if it might possibly be a Stygian Shadow -hunter? I have a Field Guide to Dragonflies and Damselflies of Massachusetts (Nikula, Loose and Burne) and on p. 149 there is a picture of a Dragonhunter that looks somewhat similar to the one in my photos. The Stygian Shadow -hunter has a bit of amber on its wings as does the dragonfly I had seen. Other features that are helpful in identifying dragonflies are the little patches near the end of their wings called Stigma. Another key feature leading to a dragonfly's identity is the colour and shape of the patterns that make up the designs on its abdominal segments. And there are other features to be considered as well in making a correct identification. I would appreciate comments from anyone who might be able to help me in correctly identifying this dragonfly.

And while I'm asking; does anyone know who this one shown below might be? Isn't the world just full of fascinating creatures!

8 comments:

Becky said...

Nice post on Dragon Flies. They're not easy to photograph, and I didn't realize what beautiful detail are on the wings.

Mary said...

Terrific dragonfly pictures but I didn't even know the difference between dragons and damsels, so I'm of no help whatsoever! I love that amber color on the wings! REally delicate looking, and your shots are really detailed. Will look forward to learning about them in your posts!

Anonymous said...

What a great masthead photo! (Dragonflies are nice too)

me ann my camera said...

mary:
Dragonflies photos won't be as plentiful as the duck ones were but it is interesting to collect photos of all the different ones. And some are much easier to identify than otheres.

becky:
I use much the same approach of taking pictures of dragonflies as I do of taking them of butterflies. I just follow them around, if possible, until they perch.

nbnaturelover:
Look at all the spiders I found yesterday! They are neat too don't you think?! Glad you like the Osprey and Dragonflies!

Sandpiper (Lin) said...

Nice job capturing these pictures. Great close up details on the wings. I always have problems identifying them.

Anonymous said...

Great photos. Love the detail. Those wings are amazing.

me ann my camera said...

sandpiper and 2sweetnsaxy:
Aren't the wings fascinating with such interesting detail! I love taking pictures of dragonflies although the id'ing of them is a bit difficut. I found another new one yesterday!

Mary said...

Could that top one be a Blue Dasher female?