Odonata
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Weekend Dragonflies
Got a grip. The handsome Painted Skimmer (Libellula semifasciata), with his conspicuous orange wing pattern. Note the appendages at the tail-end of the abdomen: this is a male. He uses these to grasp females right behind the eyes (damselflies grasp by the neck). More on the wild kingdom of dragonfly sex can be found here,…
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Dragonflies
Common Whitetail (Libellua lydia) male.Twelve-spotted Skimmer (Libellua pulchella) male.Twelve-spotted Skimmer (Libellua pulchella) female.Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax lonipennis) male. Beaverpond Baskettail (Epitheca canis). (h/t to Ed Lam for the ID on this one.)
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Field Trip: Staten Island
Staten Island was the last of the city’s five borough’s to develop. Most of that development came after the Verrazano Bridge opened in 1964, so it was late “post-war” but it was definitely suburban (some of it god-awful). It remains the least populated part of the city; hence, it is the greenest of the boroughs.…
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Field Notes: First Damselflies
We saw our first damselflies Sunday at the Valley Water in Green-Wood. The very first one we noticed, alas, was dead. All four wings can be seen clearly here. Mid-April is early for damselflies in these parts (and it was a rather cool day). Most species emerge later in the year, mid-May and after. The…
Backyard and Beyond 