Landsford Canal State Park: Damselflies

At first we didn’t see much wildlife along the river except for at least one, if not more Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) and a Great Egret (Ardea alba) fishing in the fast-flowing waters of the rapids. But then we realized that the ground around us seemed to come alive – with damselflies. They were very twitchy. They’d rise and fly around a little before they settled again. They wouldn’t let me get too close but... I got a few shots. I’ve identified them as well as I can and would welcome feedback. There appeared to be two species: Blue-ringed Dancers (Argia sedula) and Blue-fronted Dancer (Argia apicalis).

The first was a male Blue-ringed Dancer. I didn’t manage to photograph any females.

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A male Blue-fronted Dancer.

A female Blue-fronted Dancer

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Either a female or an immature male Blue-fronted Dancer.
It was interesting taking these photos. At first the damselfly was flying circuits and landing on this spot. I couldn’t get close. And then, quite suddenly, it settled and I was able to use my LED lights to illuminate it for the shot. I could get within an inch or so without it showing any indication that it was aware of my presence – rather like the Georgia River Cruiser at the Broad River WMA in June.
Click on an image to view a larger image

Identification resources:
- Giff Beaton's Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) of Georgia and the Southeast: Pond Damselflies
- Bug Guide: Blue-ringed Dancers (Argia sedula) [Male] [Female]
- Bug Guide: Blue-fronted Dancer (Argia apicalis) [Male] [Female]