Aircraft: Bombardier Q Series
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The Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) is a dragonfly of the skimmer family. It is common and widely distributed in the United States.
Mature males develop a bluish-white pruinescence on the back of the abdomen and, in western individuals, on the thorax. They display this pruinescence to other males as a threat while defending territories at the edge of the water.
Although the species name longipennis means "long wings", the wings are not substantially longer than those of related species. Females do, however, have a short abdomen that makes the wings appear longer in comparison.
Los Angeles. California.
Dorsal view
I like to get both dorsal and ventral views if I can. I posted both views of this one.
Wagner Natural Area. Parkland County, Alberta.
A White Squirrel decides to take his dinner (walnut) up to the safety of a tree. This one has a dirty nose from rooting around on the ground to find this walnut.
Dragonflies are, like most things, predator and prey. They are predators in their nymph stage, eating what they can capture in the water, and primarily insects as adults. Most of their life is spent in various nymph stages, lasting from months to years depending on the species. As the dragonflies that we see flying around, their life is short, up to five weeks for most species although I read that some species may live as adults for a few months and others for only a few days. I found this interesting from Wikipedia: 'There is also conflict between the males and females. Females may sometimes be harassed by males to the extent that it affects their normal activities including foraging and in some dimorphic species females have evolved multiple forms with some forms appearing deceptively like males. In some species females have evolved behavioral responses such as feigning death to escape the attention of males.' Males, can't live with them, can't live without them....
This one I believe is a Blue Dasher. (Pachydiplax longipennis)
Burlington Northern Santa Fe’s Denver to Stockton freight climbs up the eastern grade of Utah’s Soldier Summit through the curves of Kyune on the afternoon of February 5, 2004.
TTI B36-7 5827 was on the rear of a coal train heading to an offloading facility on the Ohio River on a pleasant April afternoon in 2010, when coal was still king.
The war on fossil fuels soon took out coal and idled the classic TTI Dash 7 fleet.
The Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) is a dragonfly of the skimmer family. It is common and widely distributed in the United States.
Mature males develop a bluish-white pruinescence on the back of the abdomen and, in western individuals, on the thorax. They display this pruinescence to other males as a threat while defending territories at the edge of the water.
Although the species name longipennis means "long wings", the wings are not substantially longer than those of related species. Females do, however, have a short abdomen that makes the wings appear longer in comparison.
Los Angeles. California.
Just back from "the Swamp." Nothing, nada, nil, zero, zip. Soooo. one of my last Blue Dashers in 2019. I thought I might need it for a lull, but didn't figure the lull would be as early as the last two weeks in August in northern California. I must say he was a beauty, as fresh as if he had emerged in May or June, this species prime time in this part of the state.
Last Monday myself and Mrs M met up with my brother for a walk from Calver to Grindleford and back. The Edges were heaving (not surprising as it was one of the few good days this holiday period).
We got back to the car and the clear blue skies started to fill in, so we drove over Curbar Gap and managed to get a spot in the car park (the roads were congested) for a quick dash up to see the setting sun. The light was briefly very good but it was difficult to compose a shot without getting one of the multitude in frame, and an unexpected shower didn't help with keeping the lens clean.
A good day all round, although Mrs M moaned about having to pay for parking for half an hours stay, and my underestimation of the walks length (I was half right in predicting it was 5 miles!)
San Juan Reservoir in Natomas, Sacramento. May 2018.
This is the place I saw the rare sinuous snaketail, BTW.
The blue dasher is an insect of the skimmer family. It is very common and widely distributed through North America and into the Bahamas.These dragonflies, like others of their infraorder, are carnivorous, and are capable of eating hundreds of insects every day, including mosquito and mayfly larvae. The adult dragonfly will eat nearly any flying insect.
Wikipedia
taken July 18, 2007
@my past garden
from old photo album
the blue colour flower is typical Japanese rainy season wild flower..
Eastern bluebirds must be migrating through as there were around 10 or so chasing each other around these dead tree snags.
Bartel Grassland
Almost the exact opposite color of how it will look as an adult. My dragonfly ID book says blue dashers emerge right at the beginning of June in the Upper Midwest so maybe this was this beauty's very first morning. Photographed in the La Crosse River Marsh.
If I ever wrote a book on photographing dragonflies, I would give each species a rating as to how cooperative they are in terms of photographing them. The blue dasher would receive one of the highest ratings. They like to sit on the same perch totally still and then "dash" out to catch their prey before returning to the same perch. Photographed along the pond in Chad Erickson Park, La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax longipennis, reflecting the morning sun at Seabourne Creek Nature Park, Rosenberg TX. Surprised he escaped the attack that broke his wing.
10 Aug 2021; 11:00 CDT, Velvia SOOC
#CN106 passes through Brockville with another Dash 8 cowl leader sporting its classic zebra stripes. Trailing is IC Blue Devil 2462. Together, they’re working to bring their train to Montreal without any delays.
The blue dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) is a dragonfly of the skimmer family. It is very common and widely distributed through North America and into the Bahamas
Don´t you like that great green color? It is like the renaissance of life, always struggling against time and weather...