And yet another trip to Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center at Clybel Wildlife Management Area in Jasper County, Georgia. We weren’t checking on Clasping Milkweed (Asclepias amplexicaulis) seed pods this time. Since we’d seen a Two-striped Forceptail (Aphylla williamsoni) here last week, we thought we’d go by Whitetail Lake again and see if we could spot another one.
Again, there didn’t seem to be much activity when first drove down to the lake. Even when I walked down to the water’s edge, I didn’t see as many dragonflies as we saw last time. They were there, but in the heat of the afternoon – we measured the temperature in the shade at 94F a little later – they weren’t very active, possibly because their dinner, insects, weren’t flying either.
The first dragonfly I spotted was a Banded Pennant (Celithemis fasciata). Just one. A female. We saw Banded Pennants for the first time at the Piedmont NWR a few weeks ago. This one was perched on a twig over the water. A nice surprise.
A male Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis). We’ve seen a number of females this year, but these were the first males we’ve seen.
A male Slaty Skimmer (Libellula incesta). They’ve been around the pond for months. They’re not colorful but they always seem to have a nice disposition.
Widow Skimmers (Libellula luctuosa). This one’s a male. The Banded Pennant, Eastern Pondhawk and Slaty Skimmers appear to be ‘shy’ and ‘well-behaved’ – keeping to themselves and not making waves. On the other hand, the Widow Skimmers – deliberately or inadvertently – act like the bullies of the pond. They fly purposefully and, on occasion, seem to dive at other dragonflies along their route. The large dark patches on their wings make them appear larger than they actually are, and may simply intimidate other dragonflies on the pond.
Then there are the ‘cutie pies’, the Amberwings (Perithemis tenera). They’re about one-half the size of the other dragonflies. Several males, including these, were flying unobtrusively ‘below the radar’ seeming not to want to be seen.
And then there were the ‘stars’ of the day. The dragonflies we had specifically come to see. At least two Two-striped Forceptails (Aphylla williamsoni) were on the pond. For their size, they were also well-behaved, even shy dragonflies. They flew a ‘low-profile’ path, staying out of the way of the other dragonflies. This dragon was repeatedly displaced from its perch by Widow Skimmers so it sought out a perch out of the way along the shore. it alighted on a twig close to the shore and posed prettily for quite a long time. But more of it soon.
So, despite the heat, we were rewarded with quite a procession of dragonflies again. Well worth sitting out in the hot sun to photograph.
Click on an image to view a larger image
Related posts:
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Charlie Elliot Wildlife Center: Whitehall Lake
- Dragonfly Afternoon At Whitetail Lake
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Dragonfly: Banded Pennant (Celithemis fasciata)
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Dragonfly: Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis)
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Dragonfly: Slaty Skimmer (Libellula incesta)
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Dragonfly: Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa)
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Dragonfly, Eastern Amberwing (Perithemis tenera)
- Dragonfly: Two-striped Forceptail (Aphylla williamsoni)
Last Friday, we made another obligatory stop by Whitetail Lake in the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center in Jasper County, Georgia. The usual suspects were there: Widow Skimmers (Libellula luctuosa), Blue Dashers (Pachydiplax longipennis), Slaty Skimmers (Libellula incesta) and Eastern Amberwings (Perithemis tenera). As we walked along the shore, we spotted a ‘new’ dragonfly.
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.
Click on an image to view a larger image
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
Have you ever been mooned by a dragonfly? I have and there he is, mooning me. I thought that was the best we were going to do and was a little disappointed. He seemed so comfortable; I didn’t think he was going to move.
Here he is. Obelisking. We later measured the temperature in the shade at 94F. It must have been hotter here in the full sun.
Closer still. I’m still not at full zoom. That’s how close he is.
A full zoom. No doubt he is a Two-striped Forceptail.
And then he turned on the charm. He turned to face me and I was able to photograph the markings on the top of the thorax.
And closer still.
*****
And then I was able to photograph the forcep tail.
