Fawn Darner dragonfly (male)

Description:

A Fawn Darner dragonfly spotted during an Audubon Naturalist Society field trip to the North Tract of the Patuxent Research Refuge. This individual is a male, as indicated by the secondary genitalia located on the underside of abdominal segments 2-3. "Boyeria is a genus of dragonfly in [the] family Aeshnidae, commonly called Spotted Darners." Source Credit: Wikipedia. Due to the Fawn Darner's predominantly brown coloration and light-colored spots, I speculate it reminds some people of a young deer or fawn; this may explain the origin of one of the dragonfly's common names. "Famous for approaching humans if they are wading in a stream." Source Credit: Bug Guide. Several Fawn Darners were in fact flying low over the water, like slalom skiers going around and around the wickets of our legs! Related Resources: 1) Audubon Naturalist Society (ANS) http://www.audubonnaturalist.org/ 2) ANS Adult Classes and Field Trips http://www.audubonnaturalist.org/index.p...

Habitat:

The Little Patuxent River, a forested stream that flows through the Patuxent Research Refuge, Laurel, Maryland USA. Related Resource: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/patuxent/

Notes:

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