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Epitheca spinigera
This dragonfly is about 4 cm (2 inches) long with a wingspan of approximately the same length. There are two related dragonflies with which it can be confused; the common baskettail and the beaverpond baskettail. The spiny can be distinquished from these other two species as having a short, sharp tooth on its claspers as shown by the arrowhead in the third photo. Seeing this spine is best accomplished in hand with the use of a hand lens.
Ponds and nearby uplands.
These dragonflies may emerge in huge numbers. The second photo above is of a "teneral", a recently emerged immature. It's wings are still folded over its back. When the immature adult crawls from its larval case, the wings are pumped full of hemolymph, the insect's equivalent of blood, to unfurl them. Once the wings are fully extended, the hemolymph is absorbed back into the body and the wings settle into their normal position and stiffen.
Spotted on Jun 17, 2007
Submitted on Jun 14, 2011
6 Comments
If you are in Michigan, then the books would work really well. They really are guidebooks in the sense that both are relatively small, but still have enough room in them for just about every odonate that flies in the northwoods. I've gotten pretty good with Bugguide.net, but I can recognize general classifications of many insects and odonates and that helps me get into the right area fairly quickly, but I understand your comment.
Thanks - I am actually in upstate Michigan for the summer so the two books you mention would work. The two online sources you list I have used but they seem cumbersome. Thanks again
Hi Cynthia,
I use "Dragonflies of the Northwoods" and "Damselflies of the Northwood" but they probably won't be of much use in your area. I've not looked at other resources very much, so can't really offer much in review. You might want to try "Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West" (Princeton Field Guides). It's a big book though and might be a bit difficult to wander around with. It has good reviews on Amazon.com, but I've not personally reviewed it.
BugGuide.net is a good online resource for North America, and may be useful to other areas as well as many species have a very wide range. You might also want to check out http://www.odonatacentral.org/
Good luck in your search and let me know what you settle on.
Hi Gordon - can you recommend a good webpage or book for dragonfly id?
Thanks. These guys were swarming all over the place. Just took patience and some experience.
Great macro work!