 Aphylla williamsoni (Two-striped Forceptail) ♂. | A Clubtail with a characteristic forceps-like tail. In Florida, the Two-Striped Forecptail (Aphylla williamsoni)) is the only species in this genus. It has a yellow "W" on the front of the brown thorax and two greenish-yellow stripes on each side. The wing stigmas are pale brown. The eyes are blue-grey and the face is yellow with brown cross stripes. This is a male with characteristic yellow flanges on S8.
bug guide (this photo): http://bugguide.net/node/view/564695 wildflorida.com: http://wildflphoto.com/species.php?k=a&id=224 | ||
 Enallagma sp. (Bluet). | The first damselfly in my collection. Compared to dragonflies, damselflies typically have a slender body and similar sized/shaped fore- and hind-wings which they tend to hold over their body (except for spreadwings). This specimen is a narrow-winged damselfly (a.k.a. pond damselfly) and most likely a bluet (Enallagma sp.). In my area, there are at least three very similar looking species: the familiar bluet (E. civile), the Atlantic bluet (E. doubledayi), and the big bluet (E. durum). bug guide (this photo): http://bugguide.net/node/view/545242 Giff Beaton (pond damselflies in GA): http://www.giffbeaton.com/ponddamsels.htm | ||
 Enallagma sp. (Bluet) ♀. | Another Bluet. This one is definitely an immature female. bug guide (this photo): http://bugguide.net/node/view/632590 | ||
 Enallagma basidens (Double-Striped Bluet). | The Double-Striped Bluet (Enallagma basidens) is a rather small bluet. A distinguishing feature of this species is that the black shoulder stripe is cleanly divided by a narrow blue stripe. It can be found throughout most of the US but not the Northwest. bug guide (this photo): http://bugguide.net/node/view/647819 | ||
 Erythemis simplicicollis (Eastern Pondhawk). | What an amazing animal! This is the Eastern pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis). The males of this species turn blue as they get older. These dragonflies are quite common throughout the Eastern US. They hunt flying insects.
The complex pattern on the thorax of this specimen looks more complicated than in reference photos. bug guide: http://bugguide.net/node/view/577 | ||
 Erythrodiplax minuscula (Little Blue Dragonlet) ♀. | This is an unconfirmed identification that is mainly based on a very similar photo in Giff Beaton's book on "Dragonflies and Damselflies of Georgia and the Southeast". I believe it is a Little Blue Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax minuscula). This skimmer is one of North America's smallest dragonflies. Adult males are blue. bug guide (this photo): http://bugguide.net/node/view/574425 UT Austin: http://www.odonatacentral.org/index.php/GalleryAction.getTaxaImages/taxon_id/47029 | ||
 Ischnura hastata (Citrine Forktail) ♂. | Males of Ischnura hastata have mostly yellow abdomen with some black markings. The tip of the abdomen is entirely yellow. It has a striking stigma that distinguishes it from all other damselflies. The Citrine Forktail is also among the very smallest damselfly species in the US. Females are darker orange or olive. bug guide (this photo): http://bugguide.net/node/view/632174 | ||
 Ischnura hastata (Citrine Forktail) ♀. | And here is the olive, blue female of the Citrine Forktail Ischnura hastata. When I took this photo, there were several blueish and yellow mini-damselflies in an area measuring a few feet.
bug guide (these photos): http://bugguide.net/node/view/632182 | ||
 Pachydiplax longipennis (Blue Dasher) ♀. | Another dragonfly: a female blue dasher Pachydiplax longipennis. This one is a skimmer. Below is a close-up of the face (left photo) and another specimen (right photo).
 A short video is available on my YouTube channel.bug guide (this photo): http://bugguide.net/node/view/548310 | ||
 Pachydiplax longipennis (Blue Dasher) ♂. | As for many other dragonflies, the males look quite different. This here is a male blue dasher Pachydiplax longipennis. The mature male is completely (powdery) blue. The bug guide refers to this stage (half-jokingly) as "tweens". A short video is available on my YouTube channel. bug guide: http://bugguide.net/node/view/598 | ||
 Perithemis tenera (Eastern Amberwing) ♂. | A male Eastern amberwing (Perithemis tenera). This skimmer is a little smaller than one inch. In the Eastern states P. tenera is the only species of this genus. Males (females) have red (brown) wing spots. Males defend their 5' wide territory fiercely. bug guide: http://bugguide.net/node/view/8058 insects of WV: http://www.insectsofwestvirginia.net/d/perithemis-tenera.html | ||
 Perithemis tenera (Eastern Amberwing) ♀. | ... and here is a female Eastern amberwing (Perithemis tenera). Notice that the wings of females are more transparent while males have beautiful amber-colored wings. bug guide: http://bugguide.net/node/view/8058 insects of WV: http://www.insectsofwestvirginia.net/d/perithemis-tenera.html | ||
 Tramea sp. (Saddlebag). | This skimmer belongs to the Saddlebags (Tramea sp.) also known as Dancing Gliders. They typically have colored bases to their otherwise translucent hindwings. There are seven species in the US. So far the best guess for this specimen is Teneral Male Black Saddlebags (T. lacerata).
bug guide (these photos): http://bugguide.net/node/view/688259 |
