Dragonfly: Swamp Darner (Epiaeschna heros)

Occasionally a bird flies into the house and a somewhat frantic – calm on the part of the pursuer but frantic on the part of the pursuee - ensues to catch and release it. Last night, we had an unexpected visitor, a dragonfly. Apparently, it was discovered clinging to the molding up high in the living room. When I walked in, W was in the process of catching it in a net. A quick inspection determined that it was a dragonfly I’d not seen previously so we quickly organized a photo op.

A lateral view

A dorsal view

A macro-shot to show the pattern on the upper thorax; illuminated with a flashlight- so the colors are a bit 'off.'.

It’s a Swamp Darner (Epiaeschna heros). Based on the relative scarcity of photos in Bug Guide and counties of record in the Georgia Dragonfly Survey pages, it seems that this dragonfly isn’t seen to often. We were fortunate to be treated to this visit. W released her and she flew up into the Loblolly pines outside. Note: These are the first dragonfly photos I’ve taken of a ‘captive’ dragonfly; all others have been field photos.
Click on an image to view a larger image

Identification resources:
- Georgia Dragonfly Survey: Swamp Darner (Epiaeschna heros)
- BugGuide Swamp Darner (Epiaeschna heros)
-- Dorsal view
-- Lateral view