Common Green Darner dragonfly (male, in flight)

Anax junius

Description:

A Common Green Darner dragonfly spotted along the boardwalk that goes through the central wetland area at Huntley Meadows Park (HMP). This individual is a male, as indicated by its blue abdomen. Although this photo isn't "tack sharp," it is nonetheless a record of the first day in 2013 that I saw dragonflies at HMP. Common Green Darners are migratory; I speculate their arrival in Northern Virginia was aided by several consecutive days of strong southerly winds. "Only about 16 of our 326 dragonfly species in North America are regular migrants, with some making annual seasonal flights while others are more sporadic. The major migratory species in North America are Common Green Darner (Anax junius), Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens), Spot-winged Glider (Pantala hymenaea), Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata), and Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum)." Source Credit: Migratory Dragonfly Partnership http://www.migratorydragonflypartnership...