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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) » Dragonflies (Anisoptera) » Common Skimmers (Libellulidae) » Setwings (Dythemis) » Checkered Setwing (Dythemis fugax)
Photo#79994
Checkered Setwing - Dythemis fugax - female
Copyright © 2006 Gary Rankin

Checkered Setwing - Dythemis fugax - Female
San Antonio area, Bexar County, Texas, USA
September 20, 2006
I'm thinking this is a Checkered Setwing, but not sure if it's a young male or female.

I compared the images to the ones in the guide page and noticed that one of the females there has dark wing tips and the other one does not. This one does not either, which makes me think it may be a young male, since the images I've seen of the males don't have the dark tips.

Can anyone tell from this image, or are better shots needed to get confirmation?
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Contributed by Gary Rankin on 28 September, 2006 - 9:09am
Last updated 28 September, 2006 - 11:58am

Checkered Setwing
I believe your ID is good. This is, however, a female. There are actually several female photos on here that I saw, all with brown wingtips and all with extensive pale lateral spots on the abdomen. Look at your photo again, and you will notice the wingtips are faintly brown. The sure sign is the lack of cerci (the white dot at the end of the abdomen is an area that would be covered up by black cerci on a male).
… Cliff Bernzweig, 28 September, 2006 - 10:05am login or register to post comments

 
I was looking at that too
but had trouble posting this photo. For some reason I got a page error when I tried to post this image and didn't realize it went through. I tried to go back and got another error, so I completely reposted the entire page. That's why you may notice a duplicate in the ID Request section (http://bugguide.net/node/view/79995/bgimage) I just went and deleted that one.

Between postings, I did just what you said, took a closer look at the wing tips in my photo and noticed a light brown tent. So I reworded my entry's question to read:

I think this is a Checkered Setwing female, but would like to be sure. Can anyone tell from this image, or are better shots needed to got a positive ID?

I checked the guide page and noticed there are differences in two of the images of females there. One has dark wing tips and the other don't (like the males). Is the one that don't have them, possibally a young male?

lol @ how that happened. I had no idea this entry even went through, but it gave me time to notice the wing tips.

I wasn't aware of the white dot being an indicater. That's good to know. Thanks for that tip. :)

Meanwhile, I was looking through my photos of the Checkered Setwings that I know are males and didn't have any decent shots to add to the guide, so I went out to see if I could get some better ones. The main thing I noticed is there is a ton of males out there this morning, but I didn't see a single female anywhere. I thought that was a bit odd, but it may just be that they are over by the nearby stock tank . . . I didn't make it over there yet today.

Anyway . . . thanks again Cliff. You're always helpful and provide very useful info. Maybe someday I won't have to be ask'n about all these :D
… Gary Rankin, 28 September, 2006 - 11:10am login or register to post comments

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