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Dragonfly Adults in Flight (Suborder: Anisoptera)
green darner in flight
green darners in flight
Green darner in flight
green darner in flight
Spot wing glider (Pantala hymenaea)
A spot wing glider (Pantala hymenaea)
A wandering glider (Pantala flavescens)
Pantala flavescens (wandering glider) flying
Dragonfly swarm! Each black spot in the air in the image is a dragonfly.
Anax junius males in combat
Green darner (Anax junius) patrolling his territory
Dragonfly swarm
Dragonfly swarm
Dragonfly swarm
Dragonfly swarm
Anax junius in flight
Dragonflies mating (Pachydiplax longipennis). The male is the blue dragonfly on top and the female is the brown-black dragonfly on the bottom.
A black saddlebags (Tramea lacerata) male flying over the algae covered water
Blue eyed darner, Rhionaeschna multicolor, flying
Blue eyed darner, Rhionaeschna multicolor, flying
Blue eyed darner, Rhionaeschna multicolor, flying
Rhionaeschna multicolor
Dragonfly Adults (Suborder: Anisoptera)
Blue dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) male
Blue dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) female
Green darner (Anax junius) pair. Male is in front, female in back.
Red saddlebags male (Tramea onusta)
Spot-winged glider male (Pantala hymenaea)
Wandering glider (Pantala flavescens)
Blue dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis)
Blue dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis), obelisk position
Green Darner (Anax junius) male – notice the large wings and huge eyes!
Male dragonfly genitalia (Pantala hymenaea)
Sympetrum corruptum male
Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata)
Roseate skimmer, Orthemis ferruginea
Mexican amberwing, Perithemis intensa
Variegated skimmer, Symetrum corruptum, female
Blue-eyed darner, Rhionaeshna multicolor, male
Mexican amberwing, Perithemis intensa, male
Wandering glider, Pantala flavescens, male
Blue dasher, Pachydiplax longipennis, female
Western pondhawk, Erythemis collocata, male
Western pondhawk, Erythemis collocata, female
Black setwing, Dythemis nigrescens, female
A male blue dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) defends his territory from a perch.
A pair of common green darners (Anax junius) laying eggs. The males guards his female from usurpers by maintaining his hold on his mate.
Flame skimmer (Libellula saturata)
Eastern pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) female
Pantala hymenaea male, side view
Pachydiplax longipennis male
Libellula saturata female
Pachydiplax longipennis male, hanging out on a cattail leaf near the Water Ranch pond.
Variegated skimmer (Sympetrum corruptum) male. He’s tilting his abdomen away from the sun to stay cool!
Another variegated skimmer, Sympetrum corruptum, head on
Perithemis intensa male
A male blue dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) challenges another male in an effort to drive him away from his perch. The aggressor was largely ignored.
Blue dashers (Pachydiplax longipennis) mating. The blue male is on top while his female drapes her body beneath him.
Female flame skimmer, Libellula saturata
Perithemis intensa dragonfly female
Dragonfly wings
Holding a dragonfly (Erythemis simplicicollis)
Perithemis intensa
Pachydiplax longipennis
Anax junius
Pachydiplax longipennis
Anax junius over cattails
Damselfly Adults (Suborder: Zygoptera)
Damselfly adult
Damselfly adult, side view (Enallagma boreale)
A pair of desert firetails (Telebasis salva) shortly after the male has grabbed the female.
Desert forktail (Ischnura barberi) female.
Caught this damselfly when it landed on me. (Hesperagrion heterodoxum)
Lestes damselfly
Dragonfly Nymphs (Suborder: Anisoptera)
Dragonfly nymph
Dragonfly with rear appendages highlighted
dragonfly mouthparts top
Dragonfly mouthparts side view
Dragonfly nymph, a skimmer (Family: Libellulidae)
Dragonfly nymph, a clubtail dragonfly (Family: Gomphidae)
Libellulid dragonfly nymph. Haven’t IDed this beyond family yet.
Damselfly Nymphs (Suborder: Zygoptera)
Damselfly nymph
Damselfly with gills highlighted
Damselfly nymph, a spreadwing damselfly (Family: Lestidae)
A quick note about permissions. I am more than happy for people to use my photos in presentations, educational materials, and websites, but please acknowledge me if you do. All images posted on websites should include a link to this blog. I spend a lot of time and effort photographing these insects, so please be kind and let people know where you got your images. If you wish to use them in print materials, please leave a comment below (you will be asked to enter your e mail address, which only I will be able to see) and I will contact you by e mail regarding permission. I keep the images I post here small and relatively low resolution to save space, but I can provide higher resolution, larger photos for print if desired.
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I love your site! There is so much to see and learn!
I’m so glad you like it! I enjoy sharing my love of insects with the world, so if you’re finding things you like and learning new things, I consider that one of the best compliments I could receive!
I enjoyed your web site. I have always enjoyed looking at dragonflies but this week I observed my first swarm… It was so awesome! There were millions and they were all so big. We were at Ponce de Leon park in Punta Gorda, FL USA on Thursday March 15th just before sunset and also Sat. March 17 at sunset. I will always remember it.
I’m so thrilled that you got to see such a huge swarm and that you enjoyed it so much! I think the dragonfly swarms are magical experiences, so I’m always happy to hear that other people share my outlook on them.
I do not have such a big swarm but I do have about 20 to 30 dragonflies that are always in my back yard. They have been like this for two years now. Needless to say I love to sit and watch them, but I was also told they were called snake doctors and are usually where snakes are (?). I dont mind snakes, but I was wondering why we have so many. :) as we are having an unusually warm spring here in way upstate NY, maybe that is the reason. Love looking at the pictures and thank you for all the info !!!
The snake doctor common name for dragonflies is related to old European legends about dragonflies being associated with the devil. Devil = serpent, so his harbingers of evils (the dragonflies) became associated with snakes. They’re not really associated with snakes, and those old European legends are needlessly dark and scary and mostly generate fear and misinformation about harmless insects. In Asia, dragonflies tend to be considered signs of life and prosperity, so it’s all a matter of your background. Dragonflies are great hunters of the annoying little pest insects you’d rather not have in your yard (mosquitoes, blackflies, and the like), so enjoy your little swarm. They’re doing you a good service and are beautiful to boot!
Great post. Your photos are great and I ,too, am really interested with insects but dragonflies/damselflies in particular. Check out my post on Familiar Bluets:
http://thepalguy.com/2012/05/21/bluets/
Cheers
Insects are cool, but dragons and damsels are extra cool as far as I’m concerned. And I’ll definitely check out your post! Just need to find a few spare minutes to give it a good look.
My love for dragonflies really kicked in last year. We recently moved to a new home 4 months ago and we have a lot of dragonflies and they seem to like me because they often come sit on my hand or my knee when I’m sitting on my deck. I found two mating about a week ago hanging from a big zinnia and took some pictures which led me to your site. Thank you for sharing your pics and info.
So glad to hear that you are enjoying your dragonflies! I certainly would in your situation. I hope you continue to enjoy them well into the future!