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Photo#64427
Dusky Dancer - Argia translata

Dusky Dancer - Argia translata
Rocksprings, Edwards County, Texas, USA
July 16, 2006
Lets see if I'm learning. Anyone?

Moved
Moved from Powdered Dancer. Interesting, this is probably a discussion between people who can see the full-size image and those who can't. The editors who can click on the image and see the full 950 pixel post can clearly see the translata pattern and we're therefore moving it.

Dusky Dancer
This is a great discussion about the difficulties of separating young Powdered males from young Dusky males. My first impression of this bug is that it is a Dusky Dancer (Argia translata), and that opinion has not changed upon closer examination. Various field marks make me lean toward Dusky, but I can see how a lot of them can be ambiguous, so I won't go into them. The clincher for this ID is the shape of the terminal appendages. If you zoom the picture, you can see the shape and relative size (vs. the cerci) of the paraprocts fairly clearly, and they are a match for Dusky; they are noticeably longer than the cerci, for one. Powdered Dancer (Argia moesta) has very differently shaped and sized paraprocts; they are of equal length with the cerci.

Hmmmm
My guess would be a Powdered Dancer before becoming pruinose. I have seen and photographed one similar to yours. The patterns on S-8, 9, & 10 are not consistent with a Dusky Dancer but is consistent with Powdered. There is clearly a broad black shoulder stripe in the individual you've photographed also indicating a Powdered Dancer. Also, Duskys have a pale lower thorax. This individual does not. Powdered Dancers will vary greatly in color and appearance depending on the level of pruinosity.

Beautiful photo!

Michelle St.Sauveur

 
You may be right
I couldn't find a picture of a young male Powdered in my books, so I don't know exactly what the pattern is like on the abdomen. However, I fail to see how S8-S10 are inconsistent with Dusky, since they seem a perfect match for images in Lam and in Nikula's Massachusetts book (which also shows the wide black shoulder stripe seen here). The beautiful purple eyes also indicate Dusky to me (I see no mention of this field mark for Powdered).

Close
I think this is either Dusky Dancer (Argia translata) or some southern thing I have never heard of.

 
Hmm..
Cliff,
I based this ID on a previous image that I had submitted ( http://bugguide.net/node/view/63307 ). E. Moon ID'ed it as a Powdered Dancer. I guess there are some subtle differences that I'm missing. These Odes are definately a challenge. Thanks for the response. Hopefully others will chime in.
Jason

 
Jason,
Using "Common Dragonflies of the Southwest" by Kathy Biggs, there is a photo of Dusky Dancer on page109 that is a dead ringer for your damsel. Size would really help with this ID as the Powdered Dancer is larger than Dusky.

Loren and Babs Padelford
Bellevue, NE

 
Size is a tricky thing...
...unless the difference is quite noticeable, one of each species is perched in the same field of view, or the viewer has an unusually good sense of scale. (I don't, but maybe mine is particularly bad )

It's true that Duskys usually have a pale lower thorax that makes a noticeable contrast to the dark upper thorax...whereas Powdered, both younger and mature males, tend to have the same "shade" on the thorax (or even darker below.) But it somewhat depends on the angle of light as well as the angle of the shot what you can see.

To me this looks more like a Powdered, but...I'd sure like to see it from all angles. I'm willing to bet it's one or the other, though.

For Texas Odes, I check with Dr. Abbott at the University when in doubt (but don't tell him I sent you; I pester him enough as it is )

 
I still say Dusky
Even in this picture, I can see a two-toned thorax. It's not gleaming white on the sides, but I don't think it needs to be. No one yet has explained to me why this "Powdered" has gorgeous, gleaming purple eyes, either.

 
It...
It was approximately 2.5 inches...

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