Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge: Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina)

July 17th, 2014. 

Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina) on grass stem at Pond 2A 

Piedmont NWR, Jasper County, GA

Halloween Pennants are common at Pond 6A and Pond 2A in the Fall; there were just a few at this visit. This pennant, a male, was perched in a breezy area and was moving its wings rapidly to maintain its balance. 

 

Related posts: 

- Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge:Pond 6A 

- Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge: Rosepink (Sabatia angularis)  

- Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge: Green Lynx Spider (Peucetia viridans) on Rosepink (Sabatia angularis) 

- Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge: Golden-winged Skimmer (Libellula auripennis)

Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina): Consummate Athlete Or Shameless Showoff?

July 28th, 2012. I think Halloween Pennants (Celithemis eponina) really enjoy a breeze. We stopped by Pond 6A in the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge in Jones County, Georgia where we found Halloween and Banded Pennants last year. We found only two female Halloween Pennants and one really put on a show. Pennants typically perch at the top of stems and move their fore- and hind wings in different planes to maintain their balance. This always gives the impression that they are off balance. I stood for about 10 minutes photographing her performance; I’ve posted the photos in the sequence in which I took them. 

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Quite a show!

Click on an image to view a larger image

Identification resources: 

- Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) of Georgia: Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina) 

- BugGuide: Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina): [Male] [Female]

- Bill Horn: Halloween Pennant Dragonfly

Related posts:

- Halloween Pennant: Ride The Wild Wind

- Halloween Pennants In A Storm 

- First Halloween Pennant Of The Season

- Dragonfly: Halloween Pennant

Halloween Pennant: Ride The Wild Wind

June 23rd, 2012. Ride The Wild Wind. Or that’s how it probably seemed to a male Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina) we encountered in the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge in Jones County, Georgia. As always we stopped by Pond 2A to look for wildflowers and dragonflies, mainly dragonflies – although we did pretty well in the wildflower department too. Widow Skimmers (Libellula luctuosa) predominated – patrolling the shore of the pond and the downhill side of the dam. But there were a few Halloween Pennants, the first we’ve seen this year.

It was hot! Probably in the 90s F. There were gusts of wind occasionally and those kept this dragonfly on its toes, so to speak.

He was ‘obelisking’ with his abdomen high in the air, trying to minimize his exposure to the heat of the sun. Then the breeze came up and…

the need to balance began. He dropped his abdomen and flexed his wings to maintain his balance.

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At one point, I disturbed him and he flew to the tip of another grass stem nearby where he continued to…

balance, abdomen down and again flexing his wings in the breeze.

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Then back to obelisking when the breeze dropped again. Only to have to…

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drop his abdomen and begin his balancing act once again.

Most dragonflies perch with front and back wings aligned in the same plane. Pennants, on the other hand, typically perch at the top of stems with the fore- and hindwings in different planes. This always gives the impression that they are off balance.
Click on an image to view a larger image

Identification resources:
- Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) of Georgia: Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina)
- BugGuide: Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina) [Male] [Female]
- Bill Horn: Halloween Pennant Dragonfly

Related posts:
- Halloween Pennants In A Storm
- First Halloween Pennant Of The Season
- Dragonfly: Halloween Pennant

Halloween Pennants In A Storm

Halloween Pennants (Celithemis eponina) are one of my favorite dragonflies and I never pass up the opportunity to photograph them – even in the rain.

We went down to the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge in Jones County, Georgia yesterday. We went up to Pond 2A.

Pond 2A is southwest of the pond in section #6 that we visited a few weeks ago. The route to Pond 2A requires going south on Starr Road to the bridge over Little Falling Creek and then taking a road north to the pond.

It wasn’t raining when we arrived at the pond although the skies were quite gray and it was windy. It looked like it might rain.

We drove slowly across the dam, looking for dragonflies. By the time we reached the north end of the dam it was raining.

In fact, it was pouring

The only dragonflies we could see were Halloween Pennants. At first, they looked like dead leaves hanging onto the tips of grass blades. And then they’d adjust their wings to cope with a change in the wind speed or direction and it was clear they were dragonflies. They were the only dragonflies that were obvious, I did see a Slaty Skimmer (Libellula incesta) and a Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa) sheltering down in the grass. The Halloween Pennants, however, were riding out the storm – including the pouring rain - on the tips of twigs or grass stems looking like they were really enjoying the weather.

A male adjusting his wings in a sudden gust of wind. The salmon colored segments near the tip of the front wings are a dead giveaway that this is a male.

Another male. This one was clinging to a twig at the edge of the water. I managed to make my way down the dam to get a closer shot. The salmon-colored markings on the dorsal side of the abdomen are visible in this photograph.

A female clinging to a twig. The cream segments near the tip of the front wings are clearly visible. She is also lighter in color than the males above.

I disturbed this female when I attempted to get close to her. She flew down into the grass and settled on a grass stem. Soon after I left, she flew back up onto a twig in the open. The cream-colored dorsal markings are just visible in this photo.

I think this is the first time I’ve had the opportunity to see male and female Halloween Pennants at relatively close quarters in the same place. Although it was nice to see the salmon- and cream-pigmented segments on the wings to differentiate between the males and females, it was easy to distinguish one from the other by the overall darkness of the males compared with the females.
Click on an image to view a larger image

Identification resources:
- Georgia Dragonfly Survey: Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina)
- BugGuide: Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina) [Male] [Female]

Related posts:
- First Halloween Pennant Of The Season
- Dragonfly: Halloween Pennant
- Zen: Halloween Pennant on Rush by Water’s Edge

Dragonfly: Banded Pennant (Celithemis fasciata)

While we were photographing the Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina) at the pond in section #6 in the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge in Jones County, Georgia, we noticed another pennant-like dragonfly with dark brown-black bands on the wings. I’d never seen one of these before.

You can see the general surroundings here. It was sunny with scattered clouds, and breezy with strong gusts of wind from time to time.

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This dragonfly – a female - was clasping a dead stem. Several times, she left the twig and flew in a circle before returning to the same twig about less than three feet from me – often hovering for some time before landing. Depending on the light, the bands appeared to be dark brown or almost black. This dragonfly is smaller - about 2/3 the size - than the Halloween Pennant. Like the Halloween Pennant, this pennant also seemed to enjoy the breeze.

We only saw two or three female Banded Pennants. Neither had yellow markings on the abdomen. We didn’t see any males but you can see a photograph of one here.
Click on an image to view a larger image

Identification resources:
- Georgia Dragonfly Survey: Banded Pennant (Celithemis fasciata)
- BugGuide: Banded Pennant (Celithemis fasciata) [Male] [Female]
- Duke University: Banded Pennant (Celithemis fasciata)

Related posts:
- First Halloween Pennant of the Season

First Halloween Pennant Of The Season

I’ve been keeping my eye open for Halloween Pennants (Celithemis eponina) and finally, last Saturday, we saw our first halloweens of the season. We visited the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge in Jones County, Georgia. A cold front was coming through. We had a brief relief from the daily 90+ F temperatures we’ve endured for the last few months. It was sunny with occasional clouds and a breezy with strong gusts from time to time. We stopped by a pond - an impoundment - in section #6 (at the top left-hand corner of the map, indicated by a large yellow arrow) to look for dragonflies. (Note: Google maps traces a ‘through’ road, but the only road that reaches the pond from Starr Road approaches from the southeast. The road back to Starr Road from the north end of the dam is closed.)

Map: Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge

The pond. This photo is taken from the dam looking northeast towards the upper end of the pond to the est.

We had the pond to ourselves so we just parked on the dam. This photo looks along the dam towards the woods beyond.

Did I mention it was windy? Between gusts of wind these cattails stood upright.

It always looks like pennants really enjoy the wind. They clasp a relative stable object and ride the wind. Sometimes they sway wildly in the wind and have to adjust wing position repeatedly to maintain their balance

This photo is out of focus because the dragonfly, a male, was in motion during a strong gust of wind.

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Several views of this handsome dragonfly, in focus. This dragonfly is clasping a broad grass leaf. He’d positioned himself facing directly into the wind. He was blown around a little but, for the most part was fairly steady.

We didn’t see any female Halloween Pennants but you can see photos of a female here.
Click on an image to view a larger image

Identification resources:
- Georgia Dragonfly Survey: Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina)
- BugGuide: Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina) [Male] [Female]

Related posts:
- Dragonfly: Halloween Pennant
- Zen: Halloween Pennant on Rush by Water’s Edge

Zen: Halloween Pennant on Rush by Water’s Edge

This male Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina) was posing on a stem by Fox Lake at the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center in Jasper County, Georgia.

Dragonfly: Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina)

This is a new dragonfly for my life list. I’ve seen them in Wilkes and Jasper counties. I’ve not seen them at Fort Yargo State Park or at home. Interestingly, Each of the dragons I’ve photographed have been femaies which have a cream-colored segment on the front edge at the end of each wing. (The males have an orange-brown segment instead of the cream segment).

The first encounter was at the Broad River Wildlife Management Area in Wilkes County on the south side of the river. It alighted on this stalk in the same in a clear-cut area where I photographed the Red-headed Woodpecker. The stalk was light and the dragon spent most of its time trying to balance in a brisk breeze.

Lateral view

Dorsal view

Both of these photographs were taken with a zoom lens.

The second encounter was at Charlie Elliot Wildlife Management Area in Jasper County. These dragons were on more substantial perches in an open area by Fox Lake, again in a brisk breeze.

Lateral view

This photo was taken with a macro setting and holding it at arms length as I quietly moved within arms length.

I didn't see a male Halloween Pennant on this occasion but photographed one in late August. The males have an orange-brown segment instead of the cream segment on the front edge of the wing. Males also have orange-pink colored patches on the dorsal side of the abdomen whereas females have cream patches. Click here to see a photograph of the male Halloween Pennant.
Click on an image to view a larger image

Identification resources:
- BugGuide: Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina) [Male] [Female]
- Georgia Dragonfly Survey: Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina)