I found this bug on my patio, nothing to show reference to size. It was about 3 to 3 1/2 nose to tail and the wing span was about 5 inches. Just curious what it could be. I live in Wisconsin, have never seen this before.Thanks,
Elaine
Hi Elaine,
Your species of Dragonfly, Tramea lacerata, is commonly called the Black Saddlebags. Someone must have seen the resemblace between the black markings on the wings and saddlebags on a horse. Interestingly, in Spanish, a Dragonfly is commonly called Caballo de Diablo, or Devil’s Horse.
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Posted 06 September 2007
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Aussie Giants Laying Eggs
Hi Guys,
Well its spring in Australia from today and snapped these Australian Giant Dragonflys depositing eggs. Hope you like it. Taken on my property on the Gold Coast, Queensland. 1st September 2007. regards,
Trevor Jinks
Australia
Hi again Trevor,
Thanks for sending your photo of mating Dragonflies our way. We expect the amount of email we receive from Australia should be increasing now that spring is near.
Correction: Sat, Feb 21, 2009 at 1:18 AM
Good morning,
If I may, it is probably the Australian Emperor (Hemianax papuensis).
I hope this helps,
Renaud, Switzerland
male Eastern Amberwing
Hi Lisa and Daniel!
I know you’re busy, love the site, look at it daily. I captured this handsome little guy’s picture today and thought you might like a shot of a male Eastern Amberwing to go along with the female sent in the other day. We live in central Illinois and he about 15 of his cousins were flitting along the lake shore while I hunted spiders in the rocks (did not find anything interesting). These guys are my favorite of the dragonflies, very pretty. Happy Bugging!
Rebekah
Hi Rebekah,
Thank you for adding your photo of a Male Eastern Amberwing to our archives.
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Posted 30 August 2007
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posted (09/01/2007) Male damselfly drowning female
I came across your website tonight, and thought you’d be interested in the attached sequence of photos I took this afternoon:
A male holding a female underwater until it drowned. Interesting alternative to dragonfly cannibalism.
Ken Carlson
Sanborn, Iowa
Hi Ken,
Your photo sequence is quite dramatic. In the insect and spider world, there is a documented phenomenon where the mating activity ends with the death of one of the participants. That phenomenon often ends with a cannibalized male, as in Black Widow Spiders and Preying Mantids. The unfortunate incident in your documentation is, we hope, accidental insecticide due to poor technique. Thanks for sending these images our way.
Update: Sat, Feb 21, 2009 at 1:57 AM
Comment:
If I may, these scenes show nothing to worry about. Actualy it is the female that command the pair, the male stay attached to her to guard the mating pair against dangers and to make sure no other male would mate with the female. Female laying eggs under water is a common treat on many damselflies species, with or without the male, in some species the female can stay up to an hour under water, taking air that is ‘attached’ to the body, thanks to tinny hair on it, that what gives that nice silver glow visible in the last of the picture.
I hope this helps,
Renaud, Switzerland
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Posted 29 August 2007
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Tagged: bug love
dragonfly and moth
Thought you might like these shots of (what I believe is) a flame skimmer dragonfly (taken in Jamestown, Va in mid August) & a great leopard moth (taken in Elverson, Pa in late June) Keep up the good work, I have found your site invaluable in identifying insects & arachnids in my travels!
Lynne M
Hi Lynne,
We are posting your image, but we are not convinced it is of the Flame Skimmer, which is a Western species. We have to confess, Dragonfly identification often baffles us. We believe this looks most like a species introduced to this country from Australia, the Scarlet Skimmer, Crocothemis servilia. All reports on BugGuide are from Florida (though an unconfirmed report from Tennessee is mentioned) but perhaps it is moving north. We eagerly welcome anyone who can confirm or deny this identification..
Correction: Sat, Feb 21, 2009 at 1:44 AM
Good morning,
If I may, I think it is rather a Needham’s Skimmer (Libellula needhami). Crocothemis look stouter with a rather broad abdomen, without those black marking on the top of the abdomen.
I hope this helps,
Renaud, Switzerland
Green Darner Photo
Hello. I saw you posted an Ailanthus Webworm Moth photo on your home page. Thanks, after I had sent my poor photo in, I kept looking but never figured it of course because I didn’t realize that it was even a moth. None the less all that time spent browsing insect pictures has helped me identify some other insects in and about my garden. I took this photo this morning of the green darner female resting on some coleus plants. Thought you might enjoy. Thanks for the site.
Mary in Chicagoland
Hi Mary,
Thanks for sending us your photo of a female Green Darner.
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Posted 18 August 2007
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Rescued green darner
My daughter discovered a dragonfly–I think it’s a male green darner–stuck in our pool today. We fished it out, and while it was drying and recuperating I managed to get a few pictures. I thought you might enjoy them.
Phyllis
Hi Phyllis,
You and your daughter performed your good deed of the day and now we have this wonderful image of a male Green Darner to post online.
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Posted 17 August 2007
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New species – Eastern Amberwing dragonfly
Here’s a new species for your website (and a new species for me). I’m fairly positive this is a female Eastern Amberwing dragonfly. It was the shortest dragonfly I’ve ever seen. Photo taken in Memphis, TN. Tim
www.WildlifeTheater.com
Hi Tim,
We agree that this is a female Eastern Amberwing, Perithemis tenera, based on a matching image on the Dragonflies and Damselflies of New Jersey website.
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Posted 14 August 2007
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Four Spotted Skimmer
Hi bug lovers,
Your site is amazing. I’ve spent quite a bit of time there today, looking at pictures and I am not a bug lover usually . I am, however, fascinated by dragonflies, but know very little about them. I was trying to identify this one and didn’t have any luck finding it on your site. However, I found through Google images that it is likely a Four-spotted Skimmer, (Libellula quadrimaculata). Is that right? I thought you might like a few images just in case there aren’t any on your site. Four-spotted Skimmer … Cheers and keep up the good work.
Sandra Jones
Eastern Ontario, Canada
Hi Sandra,
In trying to verify that your image was in fact a Four Spotted Skimmer, we happened upon this wonderful Dragonfly site: the Iowa Odonata Survey.
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Posted 09 August 2007
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Help identify
Can you tell me what this bug is, befor we start seing the bug we saw a big type caterpiller( 3.5″ lime green) aroung in the garden and grass, now these appear. Do you know what they are? Thanks
Dave Stevens
Dickson City, Pa.
Hi Dave,
These are mating Green Darners, a species of dragonfly. They have nothing to do with the caterpillar.
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Posted 03 August 2007
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Tagged: bug love
pics for site
Love the site. Here are some pics you might want to use. I have another batch that needs ID’s..
Robbie
Hi Robbie,
Your mating Damselflies are absolutely stunning. In the future, please just send one species per letter. Thanks for your great contribution.
Update: Sat, Feb 21, 2009 at 2:15 AM
Good morning,
If I may, these are a pair of Skimming Bluet (Enallagma geminatum).
I hope this helps.
Renaud, Switzerland
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Posted 31 July 2007
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damselflies?
I love your site and just had to share this great shot I took in a stream in the mountains of Nicaragua (outside Esteli). I think it is two pairs of damselflies with fabulous orange eyes. I have some other shots I will send another time. Thanks to everyone who contributes to this great effort, and to those who do the actual identification. Living things need all the admirers and supporters they can get these days!
Catherine Carr
DeLand Florida
Hi Catherine,
The feeling of movement in your photograph is not ideal for insect identification, but it is artistically stunning nonetheless.
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Posted 31 July 2007
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