Dragonfly Photos - Texas Hill Country - Odes - Sabinal River Valley

Dragonfly Photos

All photographs are copyrighted and may not be used without permission.
© 2006-2015 - All Rights Reserved

Special thanks to Tony Gallucci, Greg Lasley, Tom Langschied, Dr. John Abbott, and Dennis Paulson, for much needed and greatly appreciated help in identifying some of these beasts. THANK YOU gentlemen and scholars. I am grateful! Also note Sidney Dunkle's great Dragonflies through Binoculars book, was my primary learning tool and reference. ID errors on this page are the sole fault of the author dingbat, me. :):)

DRAGONFLIES ~ Anisoptera

Immature male Roseate Skimmer

The photos below are not high quality, but only hope to help a novice identify something they saw, or to document something we found. There are over 50 species shown here, most of what one will see around Utopia, the Sabinal River Valley, or Uvalde County, except the ones that won't stay still, and stay out of net reach. A few are from Uvalde, and are species that I haven't seen at Utopia yet. Some have multiple images, usually if the sexes differ in appearance. We'll add more pictures in time.

This page received its first in 5 years overhaul Sept. 09. Now things are grouped into family groups, with binomials. Order within families may remain chaos however, but most sub-groups are sorted so similar things are together.

DARNERS ~ Aeshnidae

Green Darner (Anax junius), male in hand, the female mostly appears all green

Springtime Darner (Basiaeschna janata) is about done flying for the year by summer

This was the first Uvalde Co. record of Comet Darner (Anax longipes), July 27, 05 at Cook's Slough, Uvalde.

Swamp Darner, female (Epiaeschna heros) at Utopia on July 27, 2009 was the first in Uvalde Co.

CLUBTAILS ~ Gomphidae

Dragonhunter (Hagenius brevistylus)

Dragonhunter eating Arizona Sister butterfly

Black-shouldered Spinyleg - teneral
(Dromogomphus spinosus)
Common at Utopia Park in May when emerging

Flag-tailed Spinyleg - (Dromogomphus spoliatus)

Four-striped Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides stigmatus)

Broad-striped Forceptail (Aphylla augustifolia)

If anyone can offer any positive ID's on the next 3 gomphids (clubtails) I'd appreciate it.

Gomphid sps. 16 - Bandera Co.

Gomphid sps. 16 - same animal as above

Gomphid sps. 1 - Bandera Co.
(Plains Clubtail?)

Gomphid sps. 9 - Bandera Co.
(Pronghorn Clubtail?)

Leaftail sps. (looks Four-striped)

Leaftail sps., probably Five-striped
(Phyllogomphoides albrighti)

Eastern Ringtail (Erpetogomphus designatus)

Eastern Ringtail

CRUISERS, BASKETTAILS, and EMERALDS ~ Corduliidae

River Cruiser (Macromia) sps.
Bandera Co., June 18 '06
Lost Maples SNA, probably first county photo docs

River Cruiser (Macromia sps.) (Uv. Co.)

(cf.) Dot-winged Baskettail (Epitheca (costalis?) sps.

SKIMMERS ~ Libellulidae

There are several smaller groups within this large group, so we'll subtitle them into smaller groups.

SYLPHS

Ivory-striped Sylph - (Macrothemis imitans)
Photo'd from the car at a small wet crossing in Sabinal, TX.

Ivory-striped Sylph - (Macrothemis imitans)
Immature male

Straw-colored Sylph (Macrothemis inacuta) at Cook's Slough, Uvalde
September 14, 2007

AMBERWINGS

Eastern Amberwing (Perithemis tenera) a small well-named dragonfly
Lost Maples SNA, Bandera Co., May 29, 06

Sough Amberwing (Perithemis domitia), 1st Uvalde Co. record at Utopia Park

SKIMMERS

Filigree Skimmer (Psuedoleon superba) in Bandera Co., on Sabinal River, just north of Utopia, 2006

Neon Skimmer (Libellula croceipennis)
Bandera Co., at Lost Maples SNA

Flame Skimmer (Libellula saturata)
1st Uvalde Co. record

Twelve-spotted Skimmer (Libellula pulchella)

Red Rock Skimmer (Paltothemis lineatipes) Oct. 3, 04
2nd one and locale for day! (first Bandera Co. docs)

Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa) male

Widow Skimmer (female)

Widow Skimmer - male June 18

Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia) male

Common Whitetail - female

Roseate Skimmer (Orthemis ferruginea) male

Comanche Skimmer (Libellula comanche) male

This female Comanche Skimmer was ovipositing at Lost Maples SNA June 25, 06

DRAGONLET

Band-winged Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax umbrata) New for Bandera Co. when I found them in 2004

Dragon sps. 8 apparent female
Band-winged Dragonlet

PONDHAWKS

Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis)

Eastern Pondhawk - female

Great Pondhawk (Erythemis vesiculosa)

SADDLEBAGS GLIDERS

Red Saddlebags (Tramea onusta) male left, female right

Black Saddlebags - (Tramea lacerata)

Hyacinth Glider (1st Uv. Co.)
(Miathyria marcella)

SETWINGS

Checkered Setwing (Dythemis fugax)

Checkered Setwing - rearview

Swift Setwing (Dythemis velox)

Black Setwing (Dythemis nigrescens)
(1st Bandera Co.- Bravo Creek)

MEADOWHAWKS

Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum) pair in wheel - Bandera Co.
This pair oviposited on our porch for 3 weeks!

Autumn (formerly Yellow-legged) Meadowhawk
(Sympetrum vicinum)
Bandera County Nov. '03

Autumn Meadowhawk - Dec. 31, 05, Utopia, TX
(Sympetrum vicinum)

DASHERS

Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) at
Lost Maples SNA, Bandera Co., May 29, 06

Thornbush Dasher (Micrathyria hagenii) - Bandera Co.

Spot-tailed Dasher - (Micrathyria aequalis)
I found this first Uvalde Co. record
at Cook's Slough on August 29, 2009

PENNANTS

Halloween Pennant (Celethemis eponina)

Banded Pennant (Celithemis fasciata)

Four-spotted Pennant, (Brachymesia gravida)
female or imm. male

Tawny Pennant (Brachymesia herbida)
first showed up in Uvalde Co. in 2009
(found by others first)

Red-tailed Pennant (Brachymesia furcata) male

Red-tailed Pennant (Brachymesia furcata) female

Marl Pennant (Macrodiplax balteata)
1st Uvalde Co. documentation, June 20, 2009

MISCELLANEOUS ASSORTED ODDS 'n' ENDS

Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens) Bandera Co.
June 18, '06, Lost Maples SNA, probably first county photo docs

Pale-faced Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga mendax)

Comanche Skimmer

That's all folks!