This dragonfly was quietly patrolling the shore, not making a big fuss. As I stood quietly at the edge of the lake, it would come within 4 to 5 feet of me. It would hover for a minute or so in the same small area. Moving forward a few inches and hovering before moving on again. It repeated this pattern over and over again. Then, occasionally it would hover and then back up repeatedly. Although I was close to it, I couldn’t get a good shot. Just as I managed to focus on it, it moved. So, I got what I could.
I’ve tentatively identified it as a Two-striped Forceptail (Aphylla williamsoni) and would appreciate confirmation/ correction. A series showing…
The pattern on the abdomen,
the side of the thorax, and the
top of the thorax.Last Saturday, while driving along Sandy Run Road in Hancock County, we saw a number of these dragonflies hunting small insect that were flying in the sun above the roadway. One flew beside the car for several seconds, long enough to get a clear view of its color pattern.
In Georgia, the two-striped Forceptail (Aphylla williamsoni) occurs from mid-July until early October and has only been documented in four counties in Georgia: Jackson, Bulloch, Bryan, Steward and Seminole counties. It is probably more widely distributed but hard to photograph since it appears to always be on the move.
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Identification resources:
- Georgia Dragonfly Survey: Two-striped Forceptail (Aphylla williamsoni)
- BugGuide: Two-striped Forceptail (Aphylla williamsoni)
- S. L Brown: Two-striped Forceptail (Aphylla williamsoni)
Related post:
- Dragonfly Afternoon At Whitetail Lake
I love Dragonflies, they are so hard to photograph though, You have done a really good job. Thank you
ReplyDeleteDragonflies are my favorites too. This year, with the drought and high temperatures, butterflies aren't doing very well. Dragonflies seem to be doing OK though.
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