Which Green Damsel - Argia moesta

Moved

… Nick Block, 26 May, 2010 - 7:04am

We think from the angle of this image

that the stripe on 9 is high, almost dorsal rather than the low lateral stripe you find on apicalis, so we'd still be tempted to call this moesta.

… john and jane balaban, 12 March, 2010 - 4:24pm

I agree

Knowing a bit more about the ID issues between the two now, I'd have to agree. Thanks for the catch!

… Nick Block, 26 May, 2010 - 7:04am

Blue-fronted?

Definitely Powdered or Blue-fronted Dancer. If I had to guess, I'd say it's a Blue-fronted based on the lateral dark stripe on S9. Powdered very rarely has this stripe; S9 is usually all pale laterally. However, both species are variable enough that single field marks like this are hazardous to use alone. The best way to ID these guys is either with a good size reference or a good shot of the venation below the pterostigmas. The pterostigma on Powdered Dancer has a crossvein below it.

… Nick Block, 31 July, 2007 - 9:42am

Thank you!

Excellant! Now they've all be identified from this trip! It'[s greatly appreciated!

… Jeanne Steele, 31 July, 2007 - 5:01pm

They are both female and both Argia

We unlinked them since they weren't the same individual. The hard part is they look like different species to us, which we're guessing is not the case since they were all out together. This is a brown form female of either Argia apicalis or A. moesta. Because of the light coloration on the top of the abdomen and the sides of the abdomen tip, we would have said moesta, but...

Maybe an expert will help clarify for all of us!!

… john and jane balaban, 30 July, 2007 - 10:19pm

I look forward to seeing what

I look forward to seeing what an expert thinks these are! I think you're probably right that this one is A. Moesta and the other may be A. Apicalis. I thought the other was a bit green though, and I've seen no example showing females (or males for that matter) in green, though the markings do seem to go along with it. I did see some blue (male, I believe) A. Apicalis around in the same park.

… Jeanne Steele, 30 July, 2007 - 10:29pm