Birdingonthe.Net Recent Postings from SE Odonata > Home > Mail > Alerts Updated on Wednesday, May 7 at 01:05 PM ET The most recently received Mail is at the top.	Tree Sparrow,©David Sibley

7 May Summery Odes [Chris Hill ] 5 May Re: Fwd: Help with a dragonfly ID [Dennis Paulson ] 05 May Fwd: Help with a dragonfly ID [June Tveekrem ] 5 May Re: Francis Beidler forest [] 5 May Re: correction [Chris Hill ] 5 May correction ["SL Brown" ] 5 May Francis Beidler forest ["SL Brown" ] 25 Apr habitat destruction ["noonefarmgirl" ] 24 Apr Pictures posted of the weapon of mass waterlily destruction ["May Lattanzio" ] 24 Apr Re: Habitat destruction [Nate Dias ] 23 Apr Habitat destruction [May ] 23 Apr Need ID help - 3 damsels ["vldeloach" ] 22 Apr Florida Dragons, Damsels, and Tigers ["Thomas P. Cullen" ] 21 Apr Mystery Lestes and parasite on Attenuated Bluet [May ] 21 Apr Re: Webb WMA, Hampton County, SC [Dennis Paulson ] 21 Apr Re: Webb WMA, Hampton County, SC ["SL Brown" ] 21 Apr Re: Webb WMA, Hampton County, SC [Chris Hill ] 20 Apr Odonata of northeast Mexico and beyond ["Marion Dobbs" ] 20 Apr Odonata of northeast Mexico and beyond ["Marion Dobbs" ] 20 Apr sandhills odes yesterday [Randy Emmitt ] 19 Apr Re: Webb WMA, Hampton County, SC [Dennis Paulson ] 19 Apr Webb WMA, Hampton County, SC ["SL Brown" ] 19 Apr Re: Photos added... [Dennis Paulson ] 19 Apr Photos added... [May ] 19 Apr Re: Exuviae [June Tveekrem ] 19 Apr Exuviae [May ] 17 Apr Sandhill Bluets Flying ["Lynn B. Smith" ] 13 Apr RE: Some IDs are easy [Morgan McClure ] 13 Apr Rambur's Forktail???? [Vincent Lucas ] 13 Apr Re: Damsel with mites [] 13 Apr Damsel with mites [May ] 11 Apr Some IDs are easy [Chris Hill ] 9 Apr Pondhawks, Citrine Forktail, wish list [Chris Hill ] 8 Apr middle TN first spring odes [] 08 Apr Southeast DSA meeting details [June Tveekrem ] 8 Apr Re: Ashy Clubtail, other Horry County, SC odes ["SL Brown" ] 8 Apr Ashy Clubtail, other Horry County, SC odes [Chris Hill ] 5 Apr Re: ID Please, Pond Damselfly [] 04 Apr ID Please, Pond Damselfly ["Fitz Clarke" ] 03 Apr Re: Can't ID this one, either. [Alex Netherton ] 3 Apr Re: Can't ID this one, either. ["SL Brown" ] 03 Apr Re: Can't ID this one, either. [June Tveekrem ] 03 Apr Re: Can't ID this one, either. [June Tveekrem ] 3 Apr Re: Can't ID this one, either. ["SL Brown" ] 3 Apr Re: Can't ID this one, either. [] 03 Apr Can't ID this one, either. ["May Lattanzio" ] 2 Apr First NC odes ["birdranger" ] 02 Apr Predation in damsels ["May Lattanzio" ] 31 Mar Re: net recommendations? - another tip [Dennis Paulson ] 31 Mar Re: net recommendations? - another tip [Glenn Corbiere ] 31 Mar Slender Baskettail? ["Lois Stacey" ] 31 Mar Re: net recommendations? [Chris Hill ] Subject: Summery Odes From: Chris Hill <chill AT coastal.edu> Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 14:04:57 -0400 The odonates on the campus pond have taken a distinctly summery flavor - I didn't see a single Blue Corporal in a quick walkby, and I haven't seen baskettails in numbers for a while now (weeks?). Here's what I saw in a 10 minute stroll: 4 Rambur's Forktail 4 Common Pondhawk 1 Needham's Skimmer 1 Blue Dasher 10 Eastern Amberwing 1 Common Whitetail 1 Carolina Saddlebags Amberwings and Needham's were the first I've run into this year. Off to Cheraw, SC, tomorrow, hoping to see some of those funny looking dragonflies with the eyes that don't touch. CH ************************************************************************ Christopher E. Hill Biology Department Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC 29528-1954 chill AT coastal.edu http://ww2.coastal.edu/chill/chill.htm There is no such thing as strong coffee; only weak people. Subject: Re: Fwd: Help with a dragonfly ID From: Dennis Paulson <dennispaulson AT comcast.net> Date: Mon, 5 May 2008 19:55:48 -0700 That's a female Band-winged Dragonlet, Erythrodiplax umbrata. Very common species in southern Florida, of tropical origin. Dennis On May 5, 2008, at 3:59 PM, June Tveekrem wrote: > See message below. Can somebody help identify the dragonfly in J.B.'s > photo? The photo was taken in the Miami area. > > -- > June Tveekrem > Columbia, Maryland, U.S. > damselfly|AT|southernspreadwing.com > http://SouthernSpreadwing.com > > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: Help with a dragonfly ID > Date: Sun, 4 May 2008 22:47 > From: JB Churchill > To: June AT southernspreadwing.com > > June, > > I found your site just now by searching on the term "odonates MD". I > wondered if you could help with a dragonfly that I photographed this > past week on 4/27 at Bill Baggs State Park (on Key Biscayne), Miami, > Florida. The photo is here ... > http://www.jbchurchill.com/photos/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=1592 > > Any help you can offer is appreciated. > > Thanks, > > J.B. > > -- > John B. Churchill > http://www.jbchurchill.com/ > http://www.westernmdbirding.com/ > > > ----- Dennis Paulson 1724 NE 98 St. Seattle, WA 98115 206-528-1382 dennispaulson AT comcast.net Subject: Fwd: Help with a dragonfly ID From: June Tveekrem <damselfly AT southernspreadwing.com> Date: Mon, 05 May 2008 18:59:08 -0400 See message below. Can somebody help identify the dragonfly in J.B.'s photo? The photo was taken in the Miami area. -- June Tveekrem Columbia, Maryland, U.S. damselfly|AT|southernspreadwing.com http://SouthernSpreadwing.com -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Help with a dragonfly ID Date: Sun, 4 May 2008 22:47 From: JB Churchill To: June AT southernspreadwing.com June, I found your site just now by searching on the term "odonates MD". I wondered if you could help with a dragonfly that I photographed this past week on 4/27 at Bill Baggs State Park (on Key Biscayne), Miami, Florida. The photo is here ... http://www.jbchurchill.com/photos/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=1592 Any help you can offer is appreciated. Thanks, J.B. -- John B. Churchill http://www.jbchurchill.com/ http://www.westernmdbirding.com/ Subject: Re: Francis Beidler forest From: azurebluet AT aol.com Date: Mon, 5 May 2008 12:03:21 EDT Dear Sharon, It depends upon what sex the damselfly was. Female Blue-tipped Dancers (Argia tibialis) which can be blue or brown have a wide black shoulder stripe that is forked at the top forming a pale triangle. The males do not show a triangle. Both sexes have abdomens that are mostly dark with the male having blue on segments 9-10. Male Blue-ringed Dancers (Argia sedula) also have a wide forked black shoulder stripe with the triangle at the top but the females do not. The male has black abdomen with blue rings and blue on segments 8-9-10. Best, Ed Lam ************** Wondering what's for Dinner Tonight? Get new twists on family favorites at AOL Food. (http://food.aol.com/dinner-tonight?NCID=aolfod00030000000001) Subject: Re: correction From: Chris Hill <chill AT coastal.edu> Date: Mon, 5 May 2008 11:46:23 -0400 Sharon, Both looking in Ed Lam's book and looking at Giff's webpage: http://www.giffbeaton.com/ponddamsels.htm It seems that blue-ringed dancer has a similar little triangle there, and on Giff's page, it seems that some individual blue-tips have some variation to the shape of that mark (see the male like female picture here: http://www.giffbeaton.com/Damselflies/Blue-tipped%20Dancer_2005-05-27-0007.jpg Why I bother answering when both Giff and Ed read this list I don't know :-) I got confused by some blue-tipped dancers last year, so I know what you mean about variability. Chris On May 5, 2008, at 11:27 AM, SL Brown wrote: > Why I wrote "front" corner I do not know. I meant upper BACK corner > of the > thorax - at the back of the wide black stripe on the side of the > thorax, > near the base of the wing. > ************************************************************************ Christopher E. Hill Biology Department Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC 29528-1954 chill AT coastal.edu http://ww2.coastal.edu/chill/chill.htm "Believing is easy, and knowing is hard, and it's knowing that matters most.” – Neil Patterson ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/se-odonata/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/se-odonata/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:se-odonata-digest AT yahoogroups.com mailto:se-odonata-fullfeatured AT yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: se-odonata-unsubscribe AT yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Subject: correction From: "SL Brown" <ictinia AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 5 May 2008 11:27:17 -0400 Why I wrote "front" corner I do not know. I meant upper BACK corner of the thorax - at the back of the wide black stripe on the side of the thorax, near the base of the wing. Sharon L. Brown http://slbrownphoto.com Subject: Francis Beidler forest From: "SL Brown" <ictinia AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 5 May 2008 11:23:03 -0400 Berkeley County, SC - Saturday, May 3, from the boardwalk. The water levels were lower than I'd ever seen & there were precious few odes to be seen - lower #s than in years past at this time. Listed below in order from most to least. Ebony Jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata) Blue-tipped Dancer (Argia tibialis) - question follows* Great Blue Skimmer (Libellula vibrans) - 3 (all newly emerged) Cyrano Darner (Nasiaeschna pentacantha) - 1 and an unIDable reddish-brown skimmer that the darner was chasing * Blue-tipped Dancer - is this the only Argia that has the little triangle of color (the same color as the thorax stripes) near the front corner of the thorax? The variation in colors of this species tends to confuse me, but all that I saw had that little triangle - I'd like to be sure it's not found in other species before latching onto it as my "has to be Blue-tipped Dancer" mark. Thanks in advance, Sharon L. Brown http://slbrownphoto.com Subject: habitat destruction From: "noonefarmgirl" <lmcgarry AT nctv.com> Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2008 03:05:57 -0000 Sadly, most people know little or nothing of the natural world, much less could accurately could define what a habitat is. Much as with recycling and other enviornmental issues, it is a constant education process which needs to be persistently taken on, one person, one article, one elementary school at a time. Subject: Pictures posted of the weapon of mass waterlily destruction From: "May Lattanzio" <inkslinger AT bellsouth.net> Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:11:28 -0000 You know, I'm not sure that's legal. True, the lilypads were thick, along with spatterdock and watershield, but I was able to paddle my kayak without trouble. The neighbor who got them in (wife of the guy on the machine was quick to say they had permits), is afraid of snakes. But there's only one neighbor with a boat, and it's a jon boat and they paddled out the other day without a problem, then put the motor down. This is used in places to thin out the hydrilla, and other exotics. But it sure did a whack job. There was a turtle that came up beside a waterlily day after day to doze in the sun. It may have been one that came up earlier yesterday to lay eggs. Now it has to find another peaceful spot. I wish people would leave things alone. Grumble, grumble. May Subject: Re: Habitat destruction From: Nate Dias <offshorebirder AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:17:08 -0700 (PDT) What barbaric state allows such madness? I presume it's bad old Florida, given the mention of Apple Snails. Those actions are bad for birds, insects, amphibians, fish - all sorts of wildlife. I wonder if there is a way to sabotage the machine (wrench in the waterlilies)? Nate Dias - Charleston, SC ----- Original Message ---- From: May To: se-odonata AT yahoogroups.com Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 8:28:25 PM Subject: [se-odonata] Habitat destruction Tonight, for the second time, I saw a machine come down the canal which cuts aquatic vegetation right up to the bank, transfer it to a conveyer belt. The mass of waterlilies, sub-aquatic plants, lizard's tails, duck potato, pickerel weed, papyrus, etc. is collected to the rear and dumped in the yard of the person who hired them. It dries quickly, I'm told. Then I guess it's burned. I watched a cluster of snail eggs go under and felt very bad, because I was watching that easy-to-get-at cluster of apple snail eggs so I could catch the babies hatching. The machine floats on pontoons, has a small waterwheel on each side, a floating gas tank, a cutter/collector and a conveyor belt. I'll post picture tonight or tomorrow. Pardon me, but DAMN! May ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ Subject: Habitat destruction From: May <inkslinger AT bellsouth.net> Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:28:25 -0500 Tonight, for the second time, I saw a machine come down the canal which cuts aquatic vegetation right up to the bank, transfer it to a conveyer belt. The mass of waterlilies, sub-aquatic plants, lizard's tails, duck potato, pickerel weed, papyrus, etc. is collected to the rear and dumped in the yard of the person who hired them. It dries quickly, I'm told. Then I guess it's burned. I watched a cluster of snail eggs go under and felt very bad, because I was watching that easy-to-get-at cluster of apple snail eggs so I could catch the babies hatching. The machine floats on pontoons, has a small waterwheel on each side, a floating gas tank, a cutter/collector and a conveyor belt. I'll post picture tonight or tomorrow. Pardon me, but DAMN! May Subject: Need ID help - 3 damsels From: "vldeloach" <VLDELOACH AT aol.com> Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:10:13 -0000 I've had mostly Fragile and Citrine Forktails so far this year in an area of tall grass near a creek and a bit more distant from a small pond. I recently had a foty Double-striped Bluet teneral. Two of the damsels I'm asking about were small tenerals. One had a thickly-striped thorax and heavy S8-10. The other was brown with a pale S8-9. Photos are in an album I just created on this site. I've been getting quite a few solid blue forktails that do not have exclamation marks. I don't know if they are Fragiles? or very blue Citrines? or? I've posted one of these in the album as well. Thanks for your help! Vicki DeLoach Woodstock, GA http://flickr.com/photos/vickisnature/ Subject: Florida Dragons, Damsels, and Tigers From: "Thomas P. Cullen" <tc_two AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:11:09 -0000 Greetings. I will be working with USDA in the Sarasota and Orlando Florida areas for the month of May 2008. Jerrel Daigle has been kind enough to describe some hot-spots in these areas for Odonates, but I would appreciate enlarging my Tiger Beetle records also. I am especially interested in encountering southern Neurocordulias. If anyone has more information or wants to team up with me just send me an e-mail. Thanks. Thomas P. Cullen tc_two AT yahoo.com 516.635.5333 Subject: Mystery Lestes and parasite on Attenuated Bluet From: May <inkslinger AT bellsouth.net> Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:18:48 -0500 Added two photos to my album. The Attenuated Bluet has something between its wings that for all the world looks like a tiny baby snail (to me), but it can't be, can it? I have others if you want to see them. My "mystery lestes" finally allowed me, after a week, to take a couple of decent pictures. It stays in an area of maybe 20-30 feet. It is very dark on top with a lighter underside. It may be a "Swamp Spreadwing". Can anyone tell me? Thank you. May Subject: Re: Webb WMA, Hampton County, SC From: Dennis Paulson <dennispaulson AT comcast.net> Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:23:28 -0700 Sharon, Thanks for the further info on the darners. I'd like to add a few comments. Cyrano Darners to me look rather thick-bodied for their size, compared with a lot of other darners. They have no waist constriction at all. Springtime is a typical darner, the males with slender abdomen, bulging at the base and constricted just behind that. Cyrano has bright blue eyes and greenish, complexly marked body with linear green markings on the abdomen. Springtime has dull bluish eyes, yellow or blue stripes on the thorax, and blue spots on the abdomen. The thoracic pattern of Cyrano is complex, unlike Springtime, which has the two pale lateral stripes typical of Aeshna and some other genera. The thorax of Cyrano is heavily marked with green so looks paler than that of Springtime, which is dark brown with its narrow pale stripes. In their breeding habitat, Springtime Darners fly low, often near shore, over streams and rivers, while Cyrano Darners occur mostly in swamps and along lake shores and tend to make their sexual patrol flight at about waist to chest height. Cyrano also occur over slow streams, but Springtime definitely likes flowing water with a good current. Springtimes fly continuously along their running-water habitat like a river cruiser, Cyranos move slowly back and forth over the water with some hovering. Obviously you're also going to see some away from breeding habitat. I've never seen either species in a swarm, as is common with Aeshna, Coryphaeschna, Epiaeschna and even Gomphaeschna, but perhaps they do swarm at some times. I agree with Sharon that Cyranos remind me more of Swamp Darners, and I have mistaken them for one another. Both have blue eyes and green body markings. Cyrano Darners are also fierce predators, eating a lot of dragonflies. They often hunt by flying low over the ground and flushing large prey, even pouncing on something while it is perched. I'm looking forward to being in South Carolina in a few weeks. Why don't you consider coming to the DSA meeting in Cheraw if you want to see a variety of netting techniques! Dennis On Apr 21, 2008, at 8:45 AM, SL Brown wrote: > Thanks Dennis (it's easier for me to continue with "Eastern" > Pondhawk - so I will do so with relief) and Chris for your replies. > Chris, I am as far from an expert as can be, but I do see certain > GISS elements in odes that I've watched a lot, similar in principle > to what I know well with birds. I would be more inclined to > initially confuse flying Cyrano Darner with Swamp Darner > (especially early in the season, when some Swamps don't show a lot > of amber in their wings) than with Harlequin or Springtime Darner, > because of size, heft & overall boldness, if "boldness" makes > sense. Cyranos & Swamps strike me as the 'bulldogs' of my area's > darners. > > I got lucky with the Springtime Darner IDed in flight because it > almost ran into the windshield of the truck and hesitated long > enough to give me a really close & good look at eyes & thorax. > Otherwise, I would not have had a chance at IDing it. It was very > fast, with lots of zig-zags. As to the Cyrano, I'd like to tell you > I saw the face projection, but while that shows up so well on a > stationary Cyrano, I typically can't pick it out on a flying one. > However, the unique & beautiful "mosaic" markings on the abdomen > are much more complex than any other of our typical mosaic darners, > and I am able to differentiate flying Cyranos by them - sometimes. > Harlequins look smallish (relative to other mosaic darners) to my > eye, and the Springtime I positively IDed was in between Harlequins > & Cyranos in size, but at this time of year, lots of odes - but not > all - are smallish, so I don't know if there's any importance to my > size perceptions. > > I like your name slip: > > ;) > > butt up in the air and hanging my arms down, I could reach my net down > to where the darners were, and I kept that position for 10 minutes to > no avail. The sign said "no fishing from bridge" but was I fishing? > I thought I could argue not. But aside from amusing the passing cars, > I think all I did was demonstrate that though I have a net, I don't > know how to use it.> > > Well, there's one heckuva mental image! :-D I'm glad I'm not the > only contortionist - though for me, it's the process of getting an > eye level photo that can get a bit ugly. > > I wish I could watch someone who knows how to net. The only time I > saw someone net a dragonfly, it was a kid at one of the parks, and > he mangled it something awful in the process. I need to watch > something like this in order to learn it. So if anyone is in the > Charleston (SC) area with a net and wouldn't mind a tag-along . . . > I sure would like to learn by watching. What I can ID to report is > such a small fraction of what I see . . . > > Sharon L. Brown > http://slbrownphoto.com > > ----- Dennis Paulson 1724 NE 98 St. Seattle, WA 98115 206-528-1382 dennispaulson AT comcast.net Subject: Re: Webb WMA, Hampton County, SC From: "SL Brown" <ictinia AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:45:20 -0400 Thanks Dennis (it's easier for me to continue with "Eastern" Pondhawk - so I will do so with relief) and Chris for your replies. Chris, I am as far from an expert as can be, but I do see certain GISS elements in odes that I've watched a lot, similar in principle to what I know well with birds. I would be more inclined to initially confuse flying Cyrano Darner with Swamp Darner (especially early in the season, when some Swamps don't show a lot of amber in their wings) than with Harlequin or Springtime Darner, because of size, heft & overall boldness, if "boldness" makes sense. Cyranos & Swamps strike me as the 'bulldogs' of my area's darners. I got lucky with the Springtime Darner IDed in flight because it almost ran into the windshield of the truck and hesitated long enough to give me a really close & good look at eyes & thorax. Otherwise, I would not have had a chance at IDing it. It was very fast, with lots of zig-zags. As to the Cyrano, I'd like to tell you I saw the face projection, but while that shows up so well on a stationary Cyrano, I typically can't pick it out on a flying one. However, the unique & beautiful "mosaic" markings on the abdomen are much more complex than any other of our typical mosaic darners, and I am able to differentiate flying Cyranos by them - sometimes. Harlequins look smallish (relative to other mosaic darners) to my eye, and the Springtime I positively IDed was in between Harlequins & Cyranos in size, but at this time of year, lots of odes - but not all - are smallish, so I don't know if there's any importance to my size perceptions. I like your name slip: ;) Well, there's one heckuva mental image! :-D I'm glad I'm not the only contortionist - though for me, it's the process of getting an eye level photo that can get a bit ugly. I wish I could watch someone who knows how to net. The only time I saw someone net a dragonfly, it was a kid at one of the parks, and he mangled it something awful in the process. I need to watch something like this in order to learn it. So if anyone is in the Charleston (SC) area with a net and wouldn't mind a tag-along . . . I sure would like to learn by watching. What I can ID to report is such a small fraction of what I see . . . Sharon L. Brown http://slbrownphoto.com Subject: Re: Webb WMA, Hampton County, SC From: Chris Hill <chill AT coastal.edu> Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 06:42:45 -0400 On Apr 19, 2008, at 8:38 PM, SL Brown wrote: > It was a day that made me wish I had a net & knew how to use it. > Lots of > darners, but only two species that I could positively ID. > ... > Cyrano Darner (Nasiaeschna pentacantha) > Springtime Darner (Basiaeschna janata) > I was just about to post my own darner question when I saw Sharon's note. Ironically, the only two species on her list are the ones I had the question about. Along with the abundant Swamp and occasional Common Blue Darners, I've been seeing some medium sized patterned darners, with blue on dark patterning. I would guess they have to be either Springtime or Cyrano Darners (or a mixture of both), but I'm a bit at a loss how to tell them apart in flight. Giff's book doesn't even list them as similar species, so am I just missing something obvious? I did slap a net down on what turned out to be a smalll darner yesterday and thought "aha, got you now!" But then when I took a minute to look carefully, it was a Harlequin Darner. I usually encounter both species of Gomphaeschna every spring, and I've seen some likely ones in flight, but the suspected Springtime/Cyrano darners are bigger and brighter. I have a net, but obviously haven't netted any of the suspects (well, Cyrano Darner two years ago). My best chance was probably on the way home from camping at Little Pee Dee State Park, SC yesterday. We stopped at a river/swamp crossing, and there were two of these beautiful blue-patterned darners chasing each other over the little pool under the bridge. By kneeling by the two foot wall, sticking my butt up in the air and hanging my arms down, I could reach my net down to where the darners were, and I kept that position for 10 minutes to no avail. The sign said "no fishing from bridge" but was I fishing? I thought I could argue not. But aside from amusing the passing cars, I think all I did was demonstrate that though I have a net, I don't know how to use it. Randy Emmit's post makes me think I should have paid more attention to the damselflies at LPSP this weekend. I enjoyed the Lilypad Forktails, but didn't really look hard for Sandhills Bluets, which likely were there. Chris ************************************************************************ Christopher E. Hill Biology Department Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC 29528-1954 chill AT coastal.edu http://ww2.coastal.edu/chill/chill.htm I've long thought that too much systematic work somehow blunts the faculties. - Charles Darwin Subject: Odonata of northeast Mexico and beyond From: "Marion Dobbs" <pond_damsel AT comcast.net> Date: Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:00:05 -0400 I've recently put on my web site a small selection of images of odonata taken in Nov 2006 and Sep 2007 in the states of Tamulipas, San Luis Potosi, and Hidalgo in Mexico. I had an awful lot of help identifying these critters from some patient experts, but I also welcome comments from any of you who have familiarity with, or interest in, any of these species. The images range from OK to truly terrible. I also have an even smaller and poorer group of photos from Thailand taken in January of 2007. Comments appreciated here, too. Anyone interested can access the images by clicking on the appropriate link in the menu bar on the left side of the page: http://www.mamomi.net/ Marion Dobbs Rome (Floyd Co) GA pond_damsel AT comcast.net _______________________________________________ Odonata-l mailing list Odonata-l AT listhost.ups.edu https://mailweb.ups.edu/mailman/listinfo/odonata-l Subject: Odonata of northeast Mexico and beyond From: "Marion Dobbs" <pond_damsel AT comcast.net> Date: Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:00:05 -0400 I've recently put on my web site a small selection of images of odonata taken in Nov 2006 and Sep 2007 in the states of Tamulipas, San Luis Potosi, and Hidalgo in Mexico. I had an awful lot of help identifying these critters from some patient experts, but I also welcome comments from any of you who have familiarity with, or interest in, any of these species. The images range from OK to truly terrible. I also have an even smaller and poorer group of photos from Thailand taken in January of 2007. Comments appreciated here, too. Anyone interested can access the images by clicking on the appropriate link in the menu bar on the left side of the page: http://www.mamomi.net/ Marion Dobbs Rome (Floyd Co) GA pond_damsel AT comcast.net Subject: sandhills odes yesterday From: Randy Emmitt <birdcr AT concentric.net> Date: Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:12:09 -0400 Folks, Meg and I decided to hunt for some Sandhill Bluets yesterday after reading Lynn Smith's report earlier in the week. Until Giff finished his book Sandhill Bluets were not in the guide books most of us carry (Lam's). I knew the habitat would be easy to find and the weather was ideal so we were very hopeful as no one in recent years had recorded them in the state. The first lake we checked was too hard to access to look so we moved to a lake that was number 2 on my list, it was emptied last year by the way. It took us about 10 minutes to find a male Sandhill Bluet perched out on emergent grass in the lake. I quickly waded out and took several photos. After about 2 hours we'd found 24 of them including three mated pairs, the single females were always approached by males to mate, I did get a decent photo of one female. We also found 2 very heavily marked male Faded Penannts, one mature the other a yellow immature. The yellow one I was certain it was an Amanda's Pennant, the photo I took and several minutes of study confirmed it was an Faded Pennant. One other item I took photos of what I was sure was a Cherry Bluet, after about 30 mins of studying it I feel rather certain it is an orange female Citrine Forktail. Ok now the mystery emergence, see http://rlephoto.com/pblog/index.php I'm thinking it was an Diminutive Clubtail, but I could be wrong. Here is the list for Scotland County NC: Southern Spreadwing 3 teneral males (funny they are swarming my pond and fully mature) Seepage Dancer 8 Variable Dancer 8 Sandhiill Bluet 25 Citrine Forktail 200+ Lilypad Forktail 2 Fragile Forktail 10 Comet Darner 1 Diminutive Clubtail 4 maybe more on the wing Stream Cruiser 2 cruising the water Common Baskettail 3 Calico Pennant 1 male Faded Pennant 2 males Little Blue Dragonlet 6 Blue Corporal 100+ Common Whitetail 1 Painted Skimmer 3 Elfin Skimmer 8 Carolina Saddlebags 50+ Cheers, Randy Emmitt Rougemont, NC Subject: Re: Webb WMA, Hampton County, SC From: Dennis Paulson <dennispaulson AT comcast.net> Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2008 19:45:46 -0700 Hi, Sharon. Darners in flight can indeed be a challenge, made easier if you can catch some of them and examine them in the hand. I feel that that's always the best way to learn to identify odonates. I consider the pondhawks still as separate species. Nick Donnelly has made a very good case for combining them, but I feel that the situation may not be so straightforward and that more research is needed across mid-continent. I'm still calling them Western and Eastern Pondhawks and acknowledging that populations on the western Great Plains show some signs of intermediacy. But so do populations way to the East in Iowa and Minnesota, which shouldn't be the case if it were just eastern and western types meeting on the Plains. Typical Eastern and Western are quite different critters, and I think we need more field observations of those seemingly intermediate populations. You lower-latitude people are lucky. We had snow in Seattle yesterday afternoon, the latest date ever for snow in the city! Dennis On Apr 19, 2008, at 5:38 PM, SL Brown wrote: > It was a day that made me wish I had a net & knew how to use it. > Lots of > darners, but only two species that I could positively ID. There > were many > more that I didn't recognize & could not get enough through > binoculars to > ID, which would probably have been new species for me, as Webb is > considerably more inland than my usual haunts. > > In other words, this is a woefully incomplete list. > > Blue Corporal (Ladona deplanata) > Cyrano Darner (Nasiaeschna pentacantha) > Springtime Darner (Basiaeschna janata) > Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) > Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) > Carolina Saddlebags (Tramea carolina) > Painted Skimmer (Libellula semifasciata) > Spangled Skimmer (Libellula cyanea) > > Also, I'm wondering . . . what is the current status of the > pondhawks? Is it > still Eastern Pondhawk or did it get lumped with Western into Common > Pondhawk? Or was it previously split into Eastern? I'm not sure > which name > to use. > > We also noted 76 bird species and 14 butterfly species - and plenty > of all. > It was an absolutely lovely day afield. > > Sharon L. Brown > http://slbrownphoto.com > > > ----- Dennis Paulson 1724 NE 98 St. Seattle, WA 98115 206-528-1382 dennispaulson AT comcast.net Subject: Webb WMA, Hampton County, SC From: "SL Brown" <ictinia AT gmail.com> Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2008 20:38:34 -0400 It was a day that made me wish I had a net & knew how to use it. Lots of darners, but only two species that I could positively ID. There were many more that I didn't recognize & could not get enough through binoculars to ID, which would probably have been new species for me, as Webb is considerably more inland than my usual haunts. In other words, this is a woefully incomplete list. Blue Corporal (Ladona deplanata) Cyrano Darner (Nasiaeschna pentacantha) Springtime Darner (Basiaeschna janata) Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) Carolina Saddlebags (Tramea carolina) Painted Skimmer (Libellula semifasciata) Spangled Skimmer (Libellula cyanea) Also, I'm wondering . . . what is the current status of the pondhawks? Is it still Eastern Pondhawk or did it get lumped with Western into Common Pondhawk? Or was it previously split into Eastern? I'm not sure which name to use. We also noted 76 bird species and 14 butterfly species - and plenty of all. It was an absolutely lovely day afield. Sharon L. Brown http://slbrownphoto.com Subject: Re: Photos added... From: Dennis Paulson <dennispaulson AT comcast.net> Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2008 17:16:04 -0700 May, That looks like the exuvia of a Clearlake Clubtail, Gomphus australis. It's certainly a clubtail of the genus Gomphus, and I think the rear end of the abdomen is sufficiently elongate to be that species. The adults also have the segments at the end of the abdomen longer than in most clubtails. It's actually a rather uncommon and local species, although it can be quite common in appropriate lakes, typically cypress-fringed sand lakes with much silt on the bottom. Adults fly in early spring. Dennis On Apr 19, 2008, at 5:01 PM, May wrote: > to my album, Mazielenzer, I think. > > It has the exuviae I questioned earlier. > > Thanks for looking. > > May > > . > > ----- Dennis Paulson 1724 NE 98 St. Seattle, WA 98115 206-528-1382 dennispaulson AT comcast.net Subject: Photos added... From: May <inkslinger AT bellsouth.net> Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2008 19:01:13 -0500 to my album, Mazielenzer, I think. It has the exuviae I questioned earlier. Thanks for looking. May Subject: Re: Exuviae From: June Tveekrem <damselfly AT southernspreadwing.com> Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2008 13:52:59 -0400 Yes, they can be identified from the exuviae, although it's much more difficult than identifying from the adult. You'll need to have the exuviae right in front of you in good light, and a 10X magnifying glass or microscope, and a book or binary key to use in ID'ing it. I can't recall what book(s) are used for this, but somebody on this list ought to know. Or you enlist the services of somebody who is already good at ID'ing exuviae. If nobody is available, you could try posting photos - a few species are distinctive enough that they can be ID'd from photos. But most species can't be, so don't be disappointed if that doesn't work. If you've already collected the exuviae, keep it. You might get a chance to ID it later, or find someone else who can. June -- June Tveekrem Columbia, Maryland, U.S. damselfly|AT|southernspreadwing.com http://SouthernSpreadwing.com May wrote: Can you tell me if a dragon or damsel can be identified by its exuviae. I found one on a lilypad last week that looks like science fiction! May in Bayou George Subject: Exuviae From: May <inkslinger AT bellsouth.net> Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2008 10:20:46 -0500 Can you tell me if a dragon or damsel can be identified by its exuviae. I found one on a lilypad last week that looks like science fiction! May in Bayou George Subject: Sandhill Bluets Flying From: "Lynn B. Smith" <smithlynnb AT bellsouth.net> Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:19:16 -0400 HI all, Yesterday I was helping with a quick survey of "everything that's here" at Goodale State park, here is Kershaw County. By far the most common ode was Sandhill Bluet, including mated pairs ovipositing. A very conservative estimate was 100 individuals. There were still a lot of Blue Corporals, Carolina Saddlebags, plus brief glimpses of a baskettail and a teneral Celithemis, which I tentatively IDed as a C. amanda, pending a longer look tomorrow. Plus a lot of teneral damsels, including one Argia, and forktails, most still hardening their exoskeletons. Those plus two Drosera (sundew) species, one bladderwort, lots of Golden Club and Southern White Cedar. A good day! Lynn Lynn Smith Camden, SC Subject: RE: Some IDs are easy From: Morgan McClure <mamcclure10 AT hotmail.com> Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 18:37:06 -0400 To Chris, Sharron, and anyone else who might me interested: I will be doing a Carolina Bay field outting for the Charleston Sierra Club 3 May. Cathederal, Bamberg Bays (both Bamberg County), and Ashleigh Bay (Barwell County) will be visited. Water levels are always iffy and the bays might even be dry. Regardless of this, there is always something to see while visiting these bays. We will be leaving the Citadel Mall parking area around 9:30. If anyone is interested and need or wants mor information, I may be reached via email at mamcclure10 AT hotmail.com or call me on my cell 843-364-0757. Morgan A. McClure, MSc. PWS. Aquatic Ecologist/Wetland Biologist Carolina Ecological Services, Ltd. Charleston, SC ________________________________ > To: se-odonata AT yahoogroups.com > From: chill AT coastal.edu > Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:20:56 -0400 > Subject: [se-odonata] Some IDs are easy > > > Saw my first (and county record) Cherry Bluet, Enallagma concisum, > today at Clear Pond, Horry Co., SC. > > Also > > Enallagma civile, Familiar Bluet - 3+ > Enallagma basidens, Double-striped Bluet - 1 > Enallagma doubledayi, Atlantic Bluet - 1 > Unid. bluet - 14 > Anax junius, Common Blue Darner - 1 > Celithemis ornata - Ornate Pennant - 25, teneral > Ladona deplanata, Blue Corporal - 98 > Tramea carolina, Carolina Saddlebags - 29 > > CH > > ************************************************************************ > Christopher E. Hill > Biology Department > Coastal Carolina University > Conway, SC 29528-1954 > chill AT coastal.edu > http://ww2.coastal.edu/chill/chill.htm > > "Use what talent you possess: > the woods would be > very silent if no birds sang > except those that sang best." > - Henry Van Dyke > > > _________________________________________________________________ Pack up or back up–use SkyDrive to transfer files or keep extra copies. Learn how. hthttp://www.windowslive.com/skydrive/overview.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Refresh_skydrive_packup_042008 ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/se-odonata/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/se-odonata/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:se-odonata-digest AT yahoogroups.com mailto:se-odonata-fullfeatured AT yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: se-odonata-unsubscribe AT yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Subject: Rambur's Forktail???? From: Vincent Lucas <vplucas AT comcast.net> Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 13:54:39 -0400 Hi: Please look at this damsel that I think is a Rambur's Forktail but I'm not sure. You can view the photo in the Photo Section under "Princewince". The photo is entitled "UFO-Damsel". It was taken in Hendry County, FL on 04/12/2008 at Stormwater Treatment Area #5, south of Clewiston. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks! Cheers. Vince Vincent Lucas Naples, FL vplucas AT comcast.net http://www.flickr.com/photos/leppyone/ http://www.caloosabirdclub.org Subject: Re: Damsel with mites From: DollArtistCarla AT aol.com Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 12:02:12 -0400 Poor little thing. I also took photos of parasites the other day but on a dragonfly. I didn't notice til I got home. Carla Finley Thomasville, Thomas County, Georgia http://community.webshots.com/user/carlafinley (all photos) http://www.flickr.com/photos/cjfinley/ (mostly nature) http://www.PictureTrail.com/carlafinley (dolls) http://clothdolls.ning.com/profile/Carla (blog) -----Original Message----- From: May To: se-odonata AT yahoogroups.com Sent: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 11:53 am Subject: [se-odonata] Damsel with mites I found a damsel lying injured on a fig leaf yesterday. I thought it had been attacked because of the "red" area on its chest. (I know I'm not being scientific, sorry.) Familiar with mites on damsels, I knew it had them on the tail, but didn't know what the wound was until I saw the images this morning. I carried it back to the house, put it on white paper and took the photos outside. I will post them later to my album on the group's page. Maybe someone can use them. If you want them, just let me know. May (Lenzer) Lattanzio Subject: Damsel with mites From: May <inkslinger AT bellsouth.net> Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 10:53:40 -0500 I found a damsel lying injured on a fig leaf yesterday. I thought it had been attacked because of the "red" area on its chest. (I know I'm not being scientific, sorry.) Familiar with mites on damsels, I knew it had them on the tail, but didn't know what the wound was until I saw the images this morning. I carried it back to the house, put it on white paper and took the photos outside. I will post them later to my album on the group's page. Maybe someone can use them. If you want them, just let me know. May (Lenzer) Lattanzio Subject: Some IDs are easy From: Chris Hill <chill AT coastal.edu> Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:20:56 -0400 Saw my first (and county record) Cherry Bluet, Enallagma concisum, today at Clear Pond, Horry Co., SC. Also Enallagma civile, Familiar Bluet - 3+ Enallagma basidens, Double-striped Bluet - 1 Enallagma doubledayi, Atlantic Bluet - 1 Unid. bluet - 14 Anax junius, Common Blue Darner - 1 Celithemis ornata - Ornate Pennant - 25, teneral Ladona deplanata, Blue Corporal - 98 Tramea carolina, Carolina Saddlebags - 29 CH ************************************************************************ Christopher E. Hill Biology Department Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC 29528-1954 chill AT coastal.edu http://ww2.coastal.edu/chill/chill.htm "Use what talent you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best." - Henry Van Dyke Subject: Pondhawks, Citrine Forktail, wish list From: Chris Hill <chill AT coastal.edu> Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2008 21:08:24 -0400 Common Pondhawks Erythemis simpiicicollis by the campus pond today - about a week earlier than I've seen them in previous years. Must be global warming. :-) Also a Citrine Forktail Ischnura hastata in the ditch by my garden. The ditch was dry all last year (drought) and I think it was more like three years ago that it had citrine forktails in it by the dozen. But we've had rain, rain, rain this spring, so it's pretty soggy now. I don't know where this guy drifted in from, but it didn't take him long to find the newly wet ditch. I like the way they fly - they're so tiny the wings might as well be imaginary, and they seem just to drift up, as though pulled by a magnet, or by harnessing some anti- gravitational force. While I'm taking up your time, here's my "wish list" for Horry Co., SC. I compared the Horry County list (currently about 77 species) to the two neighboring counties in NC (North Carolina has been much better surveyed for odes). These are the critters that have been found next door but not here. If it's obvious to any of you what season, habitat, or time of day I should be out looking for these guys, let me know? Any patterns in this list? I imagine a good part of the answer will be "streams!" I've had a hard time finding them in such a flat county. The only place water seems to move fast enough to make noise is when it spills through a culvert. But it's a big county - lots more to explore. Epitheca (Tetragoneuria) costalis Stripe-winged Baskettail Epitheca (Tetragoneuria) spinosa Robust Baskettail Helocordulia selysii Selys' Sundragon Neurocordulia alabamensis Alabama Shadowdragon Neurocordulia obsoleta Umber Shadowdragon Somatochlora georgiana Coppery Emerald Somatochlora linearis Mocha Emerald Dromogomphus armatus Southeastern Spinyleg Gomphus (Gomphus) australis Clearlake Clubtail Gomphus (Gomphus) cavillaris Sandhill Clubtail Gomphus (Hylogomphus) apomyius Banner Clubtail Stylurus ivae Shining Clubtail Stylurus townesi Townes' Clubtail Libellula cyanea Spangled Skimmer Libellula flavida Yellow-sided Skimmer Sympetrum vicinum Autumn Meadowhawk Calopteryx dimidiata Sparkling Jewelwing Hetaerina titia Smoky Rubyspot Argia bipunctulata Seepage Dancer Enallagma concisum Cherry Bluet Enallagma davisi Sandhill Bluet Enallagma dubium Burgundy Bluet Enallagma durum Big Bluet Enallagma geminatum Skimming Bluet Enallagma pallidum Pale Bluet Enallagma sulcatum Golden Bluet Enallagma vesperum Vesper Bluet Nehalennia gracilis Sphagnum Sprite Lestes inaequalis Elegant Spreadwing CH ************************************************************************ Christopher E. Hill Biology Department Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC 29528-1954 chill AT coastal.edu http://ww2.coastal.edu/chill/chill.htm Subject: middle TN first spring odes From: Rconnorsphoto AT aol.com Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2008 23:11:34 EDT April 7, Montgomery Bell State Park, Dickson County TN The '08 ode season has finally begun in Middle Tennessee. I spent a couple hours in the warm sunshine Monday and found a few, mostly very fresh, dragonflies. I especially appreciate the discussions here lately concerning small baskettails, and also ashy clubtail. I struggled with these last year (common vs slender [stripe-winged] baskettail, and ashy vs lancet clubtail) and may finally be gaining a little confidence identifying them. Thanks. Fragile Forktail (Ischnura posita) 1 Com. Green Darner (Anax junius) 1 Ashy Clubtail (Gomphus lividus) 1 teneral Com. Baskettail (Epitheca cynosura) 1 Stream Cruiser (Didymops transversa) 1 teneral Richard Connors Nashville **************Planning your summer road trip? Check out AOL Travel Guides. (http://travel.aol.com/travel-guide/united-states?ncid=aoltrv00030000000016) Subject: Southeast DSA meeting details From: June Tveekrem <damselfly AT southernspreadwing.com> Date: Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:20:11 -0400 Sharon et al., This announcement appears, along with many others, at http://www.odonatacentral.org/index.php/PageAction.get/name/DSAOtherMeetings DSA SE Regional Meeting, 8-11 May 2008 in Cheraw, South Carolina The 2008 DSA SE Regional Meeting will be held in Cheraw, South Carolina from May 8-11. I have reserved a block of 10 rooms at the Inn Cheraw which will be our base hotel. Call (800) 535-8709 soon and ask for Roger and mention my name or DSA group to reserve. Try its website at http://www.inncheraw.com for more information on this hotel. Also, try the local website at http://www.cheraw.com to find out more about the town of Cheraw and its attractions, other motels, maps, and restaurants. Thanks to the hard work of Chris Hill, we have permits to collect specimens, plus inventory the Odonata fauna in Cheraw State Park and the Sandhills Forest Reserve for the South Carolina park service. Notable species include Gomphus diminutus (Diminutive Clubtail), Gomphus parvidens carolinus (Piedmont Clubtail), Epitheca semiaquea (Mantled Baskettail), and Enallagma davisi (Sandhill Bluet). Also, Ed Lam needs to scan certain species for his new book. We will be helping him out in this endeavor. The plan is to arrive the afternoon of May 8, get our rooms, and then go collecting out in the field May 9-10. Sunday the 11th will be optional for field work or just driving back home or exploring in North Carolina and South Carolina for Gomphus septima (Septima’s Clubtail) and Ophiogomphus incurvatus (Appalachian Snaketail). Plenty to keep us busy! For more information, please contact Jerrell J. Daigle jdaigle AT nettally.com. -- June Tveekrem Columbia, Maryland, U.S. damselfly|AT|southernspreadwing.com http://SouthernSpreadwing.com ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/se-odonata/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/se-odonata/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:se-odonata-digest AT yahoogroups.com mailto:se-odonata-fullfeatured AT yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: se-odonata-unsubscribe AT yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Subject: Re: Ashy Clubtail, other Horry County, SC odes From: "SL Brown" <ictinia AT gmail.com> Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2008 18:56:49 -0400 Is this open to all? Details, please! Sharon L. Brown http://slbrownphoto.com Subject: Ashy Clubtail, other Horry County, SC odes From: Chris Hill <chill AT coastal.edu> Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2008 15:57:45 -0400 Picnic lunch with the family today at Waccamaw NWR, Conway, SC. Fragile Forktail, Ishnura posita Common Baskettail, Epitheca cynosura - all three I netted had truly amazing numbers of mites on them. Still no Slender Baskettail for the county list. Ashy Clubtail, Gomphus lividus Blue Corporal, Ladona deplanata Carolina Saddlebags, Tramea carolina It might not seem like much of a list, but it was my first confirmed Ashy Clubtail, in a spot where I had seen another suspect this time last year. Well, "confirmed" might be overstating it - I'm not too good with clubtails, and it was a female. I flopped a net down on it and brought it back inside. An hour with a dissecting scope and Needham, Westfall and May's key, and I had to admit I wasn't going to achieve certainty that way. The illustrations and keys are probably a good prod to the memory once you have some experience (and maybe a reference collection for comparison), but more like mystic runes if you're looking at both a bug and the illustration for the first time. At least for female gomphids. And me. Happily there are other resources out there, and at times like this I thank the universe for Gayle and Jeanelle Strickland's special talents. This page: http://public.fotki.com/gstrick3/6_dragonfly_scans_1/page5.html has scans of 8 different Ashy Clubtails (3 females), and 10 minutes of perusing was enough to get me back to pretty confident about the ID. Size, color, abdominal pattern both dorsal and lateral, subgenital plates (the Stricklands' color scans put the line drawings in the keys to shame). It all adds up. I also got to watch her (or another similar sized clubtail) doing the undulating flight I'd just read about the other day when boning up on gomphids, so that was a plus. I'm looking forward to the May DSA Southeastern meeting in Cheraw for a crash course in odes of moving waters. Chris ************************************************************************ Christopher E. Hill Biology Department Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC 29528-1954 chill AT coastal.edu http://ww2.coastal.edu/chill/chill.htm If all you have is a hammer, pretty soon everything starts looking like a nail. Subject: Re: ID Please, Pond Damselfly From: azurebluet AT aol.com Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2008 23:38:42 EDT Dear Fitz, I believe you are right about it being a Rambur's Forktail. It's overall robust shape, dark thoracic pattern, and isolated rounded eyespots is right for Ischnura ramburii. As you noticed, the abdomen pattern doesn't fit - segment 8 is dark where it should be pale in both the male and malelike female. However the specimen is fairly teneral as evidenced by its drab appearance and its perching vertically on a tree, a pose I can't recall ever seeing a mature Forktail in. It probably just landed there after its maiden flight. If you look closely, segment 8 is tiny bit paler than the segments on either side of it so it may very well "color up" normally upon maturity. Best, Ed Ed Lam Eastchester, NY ************** Planning your summer road trip? Check out AOL Travel Guides. (http://travel.aol.com/travel-guide/united-states?ncid=aoltrv00030000000016) Subject: ID Please, Pond Damselfly From: "Fitz Clarke" <fitz2clarke AT yahoo.com> Date: Fri, 04 Apr 2008 04:17:40 -0000 Alex-not certain as to how to attach a photograph to an email; however, I have posted to this site two images of a damselfly I shot today,4/3/08. It was perched app 6 feet up a tree located five yards from a rather brackish lagoon, Skidaway Island, Savannah, Ga. There were mostly Rambur's Forktail in the area, and I suspect this species is a female RF( not in the normal appearence I am familiar with) I am new to odonates,7/4/07, and have photographed 22 species here on Skidaway Island, 5 damselflies and 17 dragonflies. I have all documented in my album on this site. I would appreciate a members identification. Thanks, Fitz Clarke Subject: Re: Can't ID this one, either. From: Alex Netherton <danetherton AT charter.net> Date: Thu, 03 Apr 2008 18:23:26 -0400 Folks, remember that I have the group set up so that photos can be attached to the e-mail, so if you need to attach a photo for ID, there is no problem. Also remember that on the group's web site, you can save photos so that all group members can see them. If anyone has questions, please write me and I can help. Alex Netherton An Appalachian Field Biologist http://blueridgediscovery.com danetherton AT charter.net Asheville, NC May Lattanzio wrote: > > I found a brown dragon on the siding of the house early the other > morning. It was chilly, but I thought a spider had gotten it. It was > close to the ground. I thought, at first look, that the wings had > been damaged, but it was just cold. However, I have not yet seen a > patterned wing like this one before, and I looked through Sid's book, > and can't find it. > > Can anyone help? > > May > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG. > Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.22.5/1357 - Release Date: 4/3/2008 10:48 AM > Subject: Re: Can't ID this one, either. From: "SL Brown" <ictinia AT gmail.com> Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2008 10:51:31 -0400 June, thanks! I didn't think of clicking the "new photos" link. :} Sharon L. Brown http://slbrownphoto.com Subject: Re: Can't ID this one, either. From: June Tveekrem <damselfly AT southernspreadwing.com> Date: Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:31:25 -0400 Great. Now the listserve stripped out the link I said to click on. It's the first link, which is groups.yahoo.com/group/se-odonata/ June -- June Tveekrem Columbia, Maryland, U.S. damselfly|AT|southernspreadwing.com http://SouthernSpreadwing.com June Tveekrem wrote: > Sharon, > > Sounds like you receive your list emails by plain text ("traditional") > format like I do. I just went through this on another yahoo listserve. > People who get "full-featured" emails see a direct link to the photo on > the right-hand side of their email. Those of us with plain text have to > click on the link at the bottom of our email that says > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > It takes you the group's web page, and near the top of the page there is > a line that says > Activity within 7 days: xxx New Messages - xxx New Photos - xxx New > Questions. > Click on the new photos part and the photo(s) will come up. > > Fun, isn't it? Especially when everybody assumes it's obvious. > > June > Subject: Re: Can't ID this one, either. From: June Tveekrem <damselfly AT southernspreadwing.com> Date: Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:20:50 -0400 Sharon, Sounds like you receive your list emails by plain text ("traditional") format like I do. I just went through this on another yahoo listserve. People who get "full-featured" emails see a direct link to the photo on the right-hand side of their email. Those of us with plain text have to click on the link at the bottom of our email that says Yahoo! Groups Links It takes you the group's web page, and near the top of the page there is a line that says Activity within 7 days: xxx New Messages - xxx New Photos - xxx New Questions. Click on the new photos part and the photo(s) will come up. Fun, isn't it? Especially when everybody assumes it's obvious. June -- June Tveekrem Columbia, Maryland, U.S. damselfly|AT|southernspreadwing.com http://SouthernSpreadwing.com > Where is this photo? > > Sharon L. Brown > http://slbrownphoto.com > > ------------------------------------ > > > Subject: Re: Can't ID this one, either. From: "SL Brown" <ictinia AT gmail.com> Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2008 08:58:57 -0400 Where is this photo? Sharon L. Brown http://slbrownphoto.com Subject: Re: Can't ID this one, either. From: azurebluet AT aol.com Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2008 01:54:26 EDT Dear May, That's a very cool one. What you have is a very well-marked female Slender Baskettail, Epitheca costalis. Only females have the wing stripes. This species was formerly called "Striped-winged" Baskettail but that name didn't seem appropriate because only a small percentage of females had them. Clear-winged females can be identified by their relatively long appendages (as long as segments 9 + 10). I have a scan of a striped-winged female on my website but her markings are not as extensive as on your specimen: http://homepage.mac.com/edlam/dragonimages/E_costalis.html Sid Dunkle's fine but out-of-print book, Dragonflies of the Florida Peninsula, Bermuda and the Bahamas, has a photo of a striped-winged female. His Dragonflies through Binoculars shows what was formerly considered the "Dot-winged form" from Texas but this has been split into a separate species, Epitheca petechialis, Dot-winged Baskettail. Best wishes, Ed Ed Lam Eastchester, NY ************** Planning your summer road trip? Check out AOL Travel Guides. (http://travel.aol.com/travel-guide/united-states?ncid=aoltrv00030000000016) Subject: Can't ID this one, either. From: "May Lattanzio" <inkslinger AT bellsouth.net> Date: Thu, 03 Apr 2008 01:19:35 -0000 I found a brown dragon on the siding of the house early the other morning. It was chilly, but I thought a spider had gotten it. It was close to the ground. I thought, at first look, that the wings had been damaged, but it was just cold. However, I have not yet seen a patterned wing like this one before, and I looked through Sid's book, and can't find it. Can anyone help? May Subject: First NC odes From: "birdranger" <cbockhahn4 AT earthlink.net> Date: Wed, 2 Apr 2008 18:05:57 -0500 At the Flat River Waterfowl Impoundments, Durham county, NC I finally had my first odes of the year today. Green Darner Blue Corporal Forktail sp. Brian Bockhahn Falls Lake State Park Ranger Falls & Kerr Lake CBC Compiler cbockhahn4 AT earthlink.net Subject: Predation in damsels From: "May Lattanzio" <inkslinger AT bellsouth.net> Date: Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:22:18 -0000 I was fortunate enough to see two damsels (thought they were mating) and follow them to where they finally settled. I had seen this once before - a Rambur's eating a Sprite. But these two were much larger and I wanted to record the process. Please ID correctly, and I hope you enjoy the series. And last night I found my first damsel exuviae. May (Go to the album May Lenzer) http://maylattanzio.blogspot.com/ Subject: Re: net recommendations? - another tip From: Dennis Paulson <dennispaulson AT comcast.net> Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:04:01 -0700 I have to add this story. I was walking down a dirt road in the mountains of Chihuahua two summers ago, and I decided to do some flower photography, so I laid my net down across the road where I wouldn't miss it on the way back. As I started back, here came Doug Danforth heading up the road with our other companions on the trip in his Toyota Land Cruiser. I ran up to his window and said "did you pick up my net?" He said, "What net?" I won't quote what I said at that point. We went back to the spot and there the net was with a nice tire track right across the middle of the handle. Although it was a bit flattened and bent, we managed to squeeze and bend it back into shape, and I'm still using it. The newer, stronger one probably would have stopped his SUV. Dennis On Mar 31, 2008, at 10:00 AM, Glenn Corbiere wrote: > > Here's another tip - I've found that if you leave that nice Rose > Entomology net streamside for a couple weeks (It should be a rural > stream, I tried one in Maine myself) - when you return to retreive > that net you'll find it will be nicely mottled and camoflouged, and > should be much less visible to wary dragonflies. > > I would understand, however, if you elect not to give this tip a try. > > Glenn Corbiere ----- Dennis Paulson 1724 NE 98 St. Seattle, WA 98115 206-528-1382 dennispaulson AT comcast.net Subject: Re: net recommendations? - another tip From: Glenn Corbiere <gcorbiere AT dragonhunter.net> Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:00:14 -0700 (PDT) Here's another tip - I've found that if you leave that nice Rose Entomology net streamside for a couple weeks (It should be a rural stream, I tried one in Maine myself) - when you return to retreive that net you'll find it will be nicely mottled and camoflouged, and should be much less visible to wary dragonflies. I would understand, however, if you elect not to give this tip a try. Glenn Corbiere Chris Hill wrote: Dennis, Thanks (and thanks Giff and Marion, too). That's 3 votes for Rose Entomology, no votes for anyone else. They must be great nets! Chris On Mar 30, 2008, at 7:21 PM, Dennis Paulson wrote: > HI, Chris. > > Although very expensive, I really like the Collapsible Tropic Nets > I've got from Rose Entomology (http://www.roseentomology.com/). > Check the website to see if you can afford one. I see they are now > $200 for handle and hoop - yikes! They were $100 when I first bought > one. Oops, a standard net bag is $14 additional, but they are the > same as Bioquip bags. I started getting these because I fly a lot to > dragonfly destinations, and I wanted something that would collapse > into a suitcase (albeit, not a tiny one), yet extend to a decent > length (54" handle). If you get the 18" rim, you still have to > travel with a suitcase that that will fit into. The handle is 23" > long but can be packed diagonally. > > Unfortunately, their newer nets are made stronger than their earlier > ones, so they're a little heavier, but I still think they're great. > I'll have one at the DSA meeting in Cheraw, and you can check it > out, with the caveat that they're now stronger and heavier, still > the same size. I wouldn't be surprised if someone there will have a > newer one. > > On Mar 30, 2008, at 6:24 AM, Chris Hill wrote: >> Hi, >> >> Can anyone recommend a good source for aerial nets in the U.S.? I >> have a couple I got from BioQuip. I love their catalog, but I don't >> like the way their net bags attach to the handle - the net frame is >> collapsible, which I guess is good for travelling, but the net feels >> flimsy, not solid, when I swing it. I don't need the collapsing >> thing. I'd rather have a permanently attached net frame that felt >> solid. >> >> Chris Glenn Corbiere 100 Prospect St. Chester, MA. 01011-9657 www.dragonhunter.net Subject: Slender Baskettail? From: "Lois Stacey" <croakie AT comcast.net> Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:29:16 -0000 I posted this yesterday but it apparently didn't go through. If you get it twice, sorry. I went bugging with a friend Saturday at the Silver Bluff Audubon Sanctuary in Aiken County, SC. The baskettails were out, we had Common, Mantled and possibly Slender as well as a Sely's Sundragon. Also saw Springtime Darner, Common Green Darner, Blue Corporal, Lancet and Ashy Clubtails. The Stream Cruisers and Brown Spiketails that were there last week didn't make an appearance this time. I still struggle with identification of the Slender Baskettail. Here are two picks of one individual we netted. There is a definite narrowing of the abdomen but I'm wondering if there is an actual measurement of the appendages to determine species for future reference? I'd like to make sure of this ID before adding it to the sanctuary list. Thanks. http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v299/croakie/? action=view¤t=SWbaskettail.jpg http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v299/croakie/? action=view¤t=SWbaskettail1.jpg Lois Stacey North Augusta (Aiken Cnty), SC Subject: Re: net recommendations? From: Chris Hill <chill AT coastal.edu> Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:03:47 -0400 Dennis, Thanks (and thanks Giff and Marion, too). That's 3 votes for Rose Entomology, no votes for anyone else. They must be great nets! Chris On Mar 30, 2008, at 7:21 PM, Dennis Paulson wrote: > HI, Chris. > > Although very expensive, I really like the Collapsible Tropic Nets > I've got from Rose Entomology (http://www.roseentomology.com/). > Check the website to see if you can afford one. I see they are now > $200 for handle and hoop - yikes! They were $100 when I first bought > one. Oops, a standard net bag is $14 additional, but they are the > same as Bioquip bags. I started getting these because I fly a lot to > dragonfly destinations, and I wanted something that would collapse > into a suitcase (albeit, not a tiny one), yet extend to a decent > length (54" handle). If you get the 18" rim, you still have to > travel with a suitcase that that will fit into. The handle is 23" > long but can be packed diagonally. > > Unfortunately, their newer nets are made stronger than their earlier > ones, so they're a little heavier, but I still think they're great. > I'll have one at the DSA meeting in Cheraw, and you can check it > out, with the caveat that they're now stronger and heavier, still > the same size. I wouldn't be surprised if someone there will have a > newer one. > > On Mar 30, 2008, at 6:24 AM, Chris Hill wrote: >> Hi, >> >> Can anyone recommend a good source for aerial nets in the U.S.? I >> have a couple I got from BioQuip. I love their catalog, but I don't >> like the way their net bags attach to the handle - the net frame is >> collapsible, which I guess is good for travelling, but the net feels >> flimsy, not solid, when I swing it. I don't need the collapsing >> thing. I'd rather have a permanently attached net frame that felt >> solid. >> >> Chris