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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) » Dragonflies (Anisoptera) » Skimmers (Libellulidae) » Pachydiplax » Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis)
Photo#65453
? - Pachydiplax longipennis - female
Copyright © 2006 Andrew Willias

? - Pachydiplax longipennis - Female
Corpus Christi, Nueces County, Texas, USA
July 20, 2006
Odd dragon. Never seen one like this before.

Thanks for your help!

Images of this individual: tag all
? - Pachydiplax longipennis - female ? - Pachydiplax longipennis - female
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Contributed by Andrew Willias on 20 July, 2006 - 9:19pm
Last updated 7 July, 2007 - 7:09am

Diagnostics
The female Blue Dasher can be ID'd easily by the 2 rows of elongated markings along the top of the abdomen. Males of this species have a medium blue abdomen, black abdomen tip, and blue eyes.

Great photo!

Michelle
… Michelle Lynn St.Sauveur, 21 July, 2006 - 4:44am login or register to post comments

Obelisking
I can't tell you what kind of dragonfly it is (some kind of meadowhawk?), but I can tell you why it looks so odd: it's obelisking. That's what dragonflies do to expose as little of their bodies to the sun as possible when they're too hot.

If it were a normal day, it would be holding its abdomen out horizontal behind it, and you'd recognize it as a normal dragonfly.
… Chuck Entz, 20 July, 2006 - 11:41pm login or register to post comments

 
We would say
Pachydiplax longipennis - female - info in the guide here
… john and jane balaban, 21 July, 2006 - 12:03am login or register to post comments

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