Common whitetail - Plathemis lydia - BugGuide.Net

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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) » Dragonflies (Anisoptera) » Skimmers (Libellulidae) » Whitetails (Plathemis) » Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia)

Photo#320503

Copyright © 2009 carolw

Common whitetail - Plathemis lydia -

San Angelo, Tom Green County, Texas, USA
July 18, 2009

After looking this up, I think it's a 12-spotted skimmer, but since I'm still new, I wanted confirmation (or correction). Thanks

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Contributed by carolw on 15 August, 2009 - 12:46pm
Last updated 16 August, 2009 - 10:39am

Moved

Moved from ID Request.

… Kevin Hall, 16 August, 2009 - 10:39am

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female Common whitetail

male 12-spotted has blue in the wings between the black spots and different abdominal marks. Female 12-spotted has different markings along the abdomen. Third look-alike is Prince baskettail, once again there are differences in body markings. Dessert whitetail also similar but outer wing spot location different.

… Larry de March, 15 August, 2009 - 2:08pm

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Female Common whitetail

Thanks! I will look up each of these and study the differences. So much to learn! So much harder to me than birds. Perhaps I could use a suggestion for a good guide - other than using the internet for looking these up.

… carolw, 15 August, 2009 - 2:11pm

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John Abbot - Dragonflies and

John Abbot - Dragonflies and Damselflies of Texas and the South-Central US
Dennis Paulson - Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West.

Texas is covered in both. First book also covers Louisiana Oklahoma Arkansas and New Mexico Second book goes up the states N. of TX into Canada and west to the Pacific coast covering all western states and provinces

… Larry de March, 15 August, 2009 - 2:17pm

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Dragonfly Guides

Thanks. I'll definitely get one or both of these.

… carolw, 15 August, 2009 - 2:32pm

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Great! It's much easier to

Great!

It's much easier to scan a book than to search the web

Larry

… Larry de March, 15 August, 2009 - 2:37pm

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