Damsels and Dragons

[Mark Melton]

I'm going to vote for female Common Green Darner. ( I've never found them to be common! They've all managed to elude my camera.)

Also the official Washington State Insect.

Green Darner Dragonfly

Washington designated the green darner dragonfly (Anax junius Drury) as the official state insect in 1997. Alaska is the only other state to recognize a dragonfly as a symbol (although Nevada's official state insect is a damselfly). All State Insects The idea for adopting the common green darner...

statesymbolsusa.org

 

[Kilchis]

Striped Meadowhawk, female, yesterday. As nighttime temperatures drop it's getting toward the end of dragon season.







Her wannabe boyfriend, 6 feet away.

 

[Kilchis]

Pacific Forktail, gynochrome female.

 

[Cabezon]

An eight-spotted skimmer

Steve

 

[Cabezon]

While photographing birds at Ridgefield NWR a few days ago, this beautiful black-tipped darner landed within camera range. I love the patterning on the abdomen.

Steve

 

[Kilchis]

River Jewelwing Damselfly. Female.



Her boyfriend.

 

[Kilchis]

Argia vivida, (I think.). Vivid Dancer Damsel, female.

 

[RCF]

This year there are a lot more damsel flies out than usual. Saw 12 of them on a rock wall and never have seen that before...

Might have to resurrect old patterns...

 

[Replicant]

I can't compete with these amazing macros.

 

[KFCDAVE]

Tons of these at the local pond. The bass were loving them!

 

[Kilchis]

Let's do lunch.

 

[RCF]

Let's do lunch.

View attachment 119516

Scary! Great pic!

 

[SculpinSwinger]

Cell phone

 

[Greg Armstrong]

Cell phone pic’.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen one this color. What is it?

 

[Kilchis]

Cell phone pic’.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen one this color. What is it?

View attachment 119611

I'll cast a vote for immature male Western Pondhawk.

 

[Greg Armstrong]

I'll cast a vote for immature male Western Pondhawk.

Thank you.

 

[Cabezon]

I encountered this juvenile male yellow-legged meadowhawk dragonfly (Sympetrum vicinum) while visiting the Manomet Bird Observatory (now Manomet Conservation Sciences), just south of Plymouth, MA.

Steve

 

[troutstalker]

 

[Kilchis]

Aerial view of the engine room of an immature male Common Whitetail dragon. Each of the four wings can be operated independently of the others to allow instant maneuverability. Common Whitetails tend to be perchers. That is, they perch on the ground or low vegetation to watch for flying insects and then launch to bag the prey. Think about that. This BUG observes a flying insect, determines its flight path, calculates an interception course to an empty point in space, launches, and up to 80% of the time successfully arrives at that point at the same time the insect does.

Nikon D5200, tele zoom at 345 mm, ISO 400, 1/600 sec. Range about 6 feet.

 

[Jim F.]

Exceptional photo!