Summer › Dragonflies & Damselflies
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Dragonflies are an aeronautical marvel. They can hover, glide, and pursue prey species like mosquitoes at speeds up to 29 inches per second. They are an aggressive and voracious predator that eats midges, mosquitoes, butterflies, moths, and even smaller dragonflies and fish.
Dragonflies and their close relatives, damselflies, are ancient insects and prehistoric reminders of the age of dinosaurs. Enormous dragonflies with a wingspan up to 30 inches across were part of the Peleozoic landscape about 300 million years ago.
Common Green Darner : Female
Common Green Darner : Male
The common green darner male is green and iridescent blue.
Common Whitetail Skimmer
Halloween Pennant
Meadowhawk : Family
All in the meadowhawk family, but not specifically identified here.
Midland Clubtail
Twelve-spotted Skimmer
So-called for it's twelve black wing spots. The female lacks the white wing spots.
Widow Skimmer
The female widow skimmer lacks the white wing patches of the male.
Blue-form Bluet : Damselfly
Damselflies are close relatives to dragonflies.
Ebony Jewelwing : Damselfly
Note the metallic-green body of the male, and the white spot on each wing tip of the female (slide 4).
Damselfly : Unidentified
