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Water
Scorpion eats Damselfly
(05/06/2008) weird water bug
Hi Bugman,
I love your site! I took this photo last July 15 in
southeast Michigan. I was trying to get a shot of those
damselflies when I noticed that weird thing under the lily
pad that appeared to be eating one of them. It was in
a small man-made pond at a botanical garden. I'm not
even sure where to look for it in your archives, so I'm going
straight to you. Any idea what it is?
Martha H.
Ann Arbor, M
hi Martha,
Wow, what an awesome image of a Water Scorpion in the genus
Ranatra eating a Damselfly while other Damselflies sit unaware.
Interestingly, this is the third photo of a Water Scorpion
submitted to our site today.
Swamp
Darner
(04/30/2008) Hero Swamp Darner?
Hello! My name is Sarah-Ellen Leonard and I've been
checking your site daily for about 6 months now. The
volume of information is impressive, as is your ability to
give feedback so rapidly. You have helped me with mealybug
infestations and calmed my fears about cicada killers.
I haven't had anything to send in until now: a hero swamp
darner, if I have read your site correctly. My coworker
here at the University of Illinois found him/her on the sidewalk
this morning. He/she is almost exactly 3" long
(sorry for the lack of size reference in the photo!) and occasionally
twitches in a feeble fashion. I'm afraid this lovely
creature may well be a goner. I just thought a nice
image of those lovely eyes would be a worthy addition to your
site. Thanks for everything!
Sarah-E
Hi Sarah-E,
Thank you for your kind words of support. We believe you have
correctly identified this Swamp Darner, Epiaeschna heros.
There are many images on BugGuide
to support this identification. While it is sad your specimen
will soon expire, at least you got a wonderful photograph
of a magnificent insect.
It's Edible: Sky Prawn
(05/01/2008) Edibility update: dragonflies
Hi Daniel,
Happy May Day. Gorgeous photo of that swamp darner. Not
so long ago dragonflies were a popular food in Indonesia,
where they're known as 'sky prawn.' They're eaten in both
nymph and adult forms, but the former must be cooked because
it may be a transitory host of a liver fluke. In old Japanese
folklore dragonflies are the steeds of dead spirits.
Dave
www.slshrimp.com
A pair of Widow Skimmers
(01/10/2008) Dragonflies
Hi bugman, As a avid daily visitor to your site, I have
searched many pages and answered many questions. Thanks
for the hard work! This past summer ( 2007) I participated
in the New York State Dragonfly and Damselfly Survey (NYDDS).
While I am certainly no expert (not even close) I hope
that you can use these two photos of a male (top)[actually
left] and female (bottom) [right] Widow Skimmer Libellula
luctuosa. These animals were photographed in upstate
NY, Madison County in the month of July.
Alison
 
Hi Alison,
Thank you ever so much for sending us your wonderful images
of a pair of Widow Skimmers.
Halloween
Pennant Dragonfly with hitch-hiking Mites
(12/11/2007) Halloween Pennant question
I've been enjoying your site for a while now and decided to
seek your thoughts on this Halloween Pennant. Specifically,
what are the red balls on the thorax of this pennant? I've
had no success in finding an answer anywhere and haven't seen
any other pictures showing this. I took this picture in New
Jersey in early August. Thanks!
Tom Raub
Strasburg, PA
Hi Tom,
We absolutely love your photo of the Halloween
Pennant, Celithemis eponina, with the hitch-hiking Mites.
These Mites use the Dragonfly to travel from one body of water
to another, a means of transportation known as Phoresy.
Dragonfly Naiad
(11/18/2007) Uninvited bug in tropical tank
Hi,
I was hoping you could help me with identifying this. I found
it in my tropical freshwater fish tank the other day but not
sure how it got there as it has been set up for 3-4 months
and has a lid!! After looking through your site, the
closest I could find is a Naiad but it doesn't share some
of the features. If it is a Naiad it'll have a hard
time getting out of the water let alone opening the lid of
the tank, so I shall have to rescue it! What sort of
time-frame is there for them turning into dragon-fly (if thats
what it is)? Thanks for all the great work you guys do...
Laura Wells
(UK)
Hi Laura,
Yes, this is a Dragonfly Naiad. We are confused as to why
you cannot remove the lid from your tank. Is it sealed? How
do you feed the fish? This Dragonfly Naiad might have been
very small and it might have arrived on the plants. We are
also curious what it has been eating as they are carnivores.
Thank you for identifying it. Although I can remove the lid
of the tank, I doubt a dragonfly can and there is no way for
it to climb out of the water, so I shall rescue it this afternoon!
It certainly hasn't been eating my fish but I do feed the
fish blood-worm once a week, pehaps this has been sustaining
it? Thank you once again, we are all very grateful for your
hard work...
Laura
Hi Laura,
Thanks for writing back and clearing up our confusion. We
had visions of an hermetically sealed fish tank, fish and
all, that was imported from China. The Blood Worms, aquatic
midge larvae in the family Chironomidae,
have probably been sustaining the Dragonfly Naiad. Additionally,
the Dragonfly Naiad was probably introduced along with the
living Blood Worms.
Dragonfly
Naiad
(10/14/2007) underwater bug
Hello!
I've tried to identify this bug through your archives and
keep coming up empty. This species was found in my pond this
morning and didn't shy away like most of the waterbugs do.
I live in West Tennessee. I've seen some strange things in
my pond but this was a first.
Kim
Hi Kim,
This is a Dragonfly Naiad, the aquatic nymph that will metamorphose
into a winged adult.
Saddlebag Dragonfly
(10/10/2007) red saddlebag dragonfly? or maybe a kite-bug
Beautiful site. I looked through your dragonflies, this
guy looks to me to be similar to the red saddlebags dragonfly
picture. I thought to myself - but no, there aren't
any slow-moving rivers around here, but you know there is
a canal a couple of miles east of here and we have had a lot
of really strong winds from the east lately. Perhaps
this one and his friend who didn't make it into the picture
were pushed over this way. On the chance that the kite
aspect of this picture and the beautiful silhouetted wings
make this a worthy picture, and because it might be a different
kind of dragon fly, I'm sending it along. Thanks.
Paul
Hi Paul,
We are not sure if this is a Red Saddlebag Dragonfly, but
it is definitely in that genus, Tramea.
The photo really is quite beautiful.
Dragonfly Metamorphosis
(10/03/2007) bug
Bugman,
Here's a few pictures that I took over the summer. My
location is on Loughborough Lake north of Kingston, Ontario.
What is it? Also, here is the annual infestation of
Boxelder Bugs that we get in only one window of the office
building where I work. Thanks in advance.
Christa Johnston
 
Hi Christa,
What great photos you have sent showing Dragonfly metamorphosis.
We don't know the species, but all Dragonflies begin life
as aquatic nymphs. When they are ready to molt into adults,
they come ashore, split their skin and emerge as winged adults.
The wings will expand and harden and the adult is then capable
of flight.
Black Saddlebags Dragonfly
(09/06/2007)
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.
Australian Dragonflies Mating
(09/01/2007) 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.
Damselfly
Mating ends in Tragedy: Spousal Abuse or Involuntary Insecticide????
(08/29/2007 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.
Eastern Amberwing Dragonfly
(08/30/2007) 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.
Scarlet
Skimmer???
(08/29/2007) 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..
Green
Lynx Spider eats Pennant Dragonfly
(08/24/2007) Spider Vs Dragonfly
Your website is great... I took these pictures
in my back yard and thought you might like them for your
site. I'm not sure what kind of spider it is but it
looks cool! Keep up the great work! Thanks,
Rick M.
Upstate, South Carolina
Hi Rick,
All we can say is WOW. What amazing images you have taken.
Your spider is a female Green Lynx, Peucetia viridans. Green
Lynx Spiders do not build webs. They pounce on their prey,
which generally consists of pollinating insects including
flies, bees, wasps and butterflies. Your spider has captured
quite an enormous meal, one of the Pennant Dragonflies in
the genus Celithemis, probably the Calico Pennant, Celithemis
elisa which is pictured on BugGuide.
Green Darner Female
(08/18/2007) 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.
Green
Darner Male
(08/17/2007) 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.
Eastern Amberwing
(08/14/2007) 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.
Four Spotted Skimmer
(08/09/2007) 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.
Mating
Green Darner Dragonflies
(08/03/2007) 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.
Mating
Damselflies
(07/31/2007) 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.
Orange
Eyed Damselflies Mating in Nicaragua
(07/31/2007) 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.
Mating Green Darners
(07/25/2007)
Hi! A friend of mine posted a link to this site in his blog
and I fell in love with it instantly. I have some pictures
of dragonflies I thought you might like, but I don't know
what kind they are. The one on my hand I found outside my
front door, dead. =C The ones in the water I patiently followed
around in the John Martin Reservoir until I could get close
enough to capture their mating, and the one in the grass was
one of hundreds that were flying around the city park. All
the pics were taken in South Eastern Colorado. Thanks for
your awsome site!
Dear Mysterious Photographer of Dragonflies
We really love your image of Mating Green Darners, Anax junius.
We have written several times about this mating postion and
the males anal claspers. What is really great is that you
have captured the female depositing eggs.
Ebony JewelWing
(07/12/2007) Ebony JewelWing
Hi -
Thought I would share this pic of an ebony jewelwing,
flying around here in Northern CT, we had though it
was a damselfly, but learned from your site that that does
not seem to be the correct ID!
Jonna
Hi Jonna,
We agree that this lovely photograph depicts the beautiful
Damselfly, the Ebony
Jewelwing, Calopteryx maculata.
Two Dragonflies: Roseate Skimmer and Red Saddlebags
(07/10/2007) Dragonfly
Hi,
Through your website, I found my way to the bugguide and the
excellent Texan Odonata site. So I could identify at least
the better quality photos of Sundays trip to Aqua caliente,
our oasis in Tucson, AZ. Here are two of them. While
I'm at it, a lot of your palo verde root borers look either
dead or very out of place - I just took this one, maybe you
can use it.
Margarethe
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| Roseate
Skimmer |
Red
Saddlebags |
Hi again Margarethe,
Both of your dragonfly photos are gorgeous. We have to admit,
we often don't have the patience or skill to properly identify
Dragonfly species, so we are thankful you did the work for
us. Thanks again for the photos of the Roseate Skimmer, Orthemis
ferruginea, and Red Saddlebags, Tramea onusata.
Common Whitetail
(06/16/2007) Common Whitetail Dragonfly?
Hello, Mr. Bugman!
Love your site! I believe the attached photo is a Common Whitetail
Dragonfly. It looks similar to a Broad-Bodied Chaser
Dragonfly, but the wing spots would be in the wrong place,
so that makes me think it's a Common Whitetail...? Taken 6/9/07
in rural Eau Claire, Wisconsin on a hot, sunny day. Thanks!
Denise DeSerio
Hi Denise,
Your identification is correct. This is a male Common Whitetail,
Plathemis lydia.
Common Green Darner
(06/10/2007) What kind of dragonfly?
Can you help me identify this dragonfly? New to this site!
Thanks,
birdiegirl
 
Dear Birdiegirl,
We always welcome new readers. Though we often have difficulty
identifying dragonflies to the species level, we are confident
that this is a Common Green Darner, Anax junius, as evidenced
by images on BugGuide.
Common Whitetail Female
(05/27/2007) Female Common Whitetail
I checked out this dragonfly on your site and BugGuide. I
believe it is a female Common Whitetail Plathemis lydia. Thought
you might like to add it to the juvenile male you have posted
already.
Photo Lady
Hi there Photo Lady,
Your photo is quite wonderful. Thank you so much for allowing
us to post this female Common Whitetail.
Mating
Dragonflies from Australia
(04/09/2007) Bug Love
Bugman, your site is so enthralling. I have these to add to
your bug love page. All taken in Queensland Australia in April
2007. Hope you like these. regards,
Trevor Jinks
Australia
Hi again Trevor,
We will only be posting your Mating Dragonflies as it is our
favorite image.
Ebony Jewelwing
(04/08/2007) favorite photo
Love your site, it has answered many questions. I thought
you might like this photo of an Ebony Jewelwing (found out
what it was on your site!)
Photo Lady
Hello Photo Lady
Thank you for sending us you lovely photo. It will surely
help readers with identifications in the future.
Mantidfly and Damselfly from Australia
(04/06/2007) Praying mantis and damselfly
Here is a couple of photos that you may like. The damsel fly
was found indoors and is around 1 inch long and the mantis
was found on my car and is about 3/4" long. This mantis
is unlike any I have seen and when I first saw it I thought
it was a wasp. cheers
Nick Bedelis
Sydney, Australia
 
Hi Nick,
This is not a Preying Mantis. It is an unrelated insect known
as a Mantidfly, one of the Neuropterans. Your Damselfly image
is terribly amusing. Guess the critter was thirsty.
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