Dragonflies and Damselflies

[Maximilian]

It's actually a Scarce Chaser. By coincidence, I got my first Blacktailed Skimmer today. The Scarce Chaser has blue eyes. This Blacktailed is still immature

Thanks, Alan. Maybe you are right. Honestly I was and still am undecided between those to species.
I didn't see the the typical spots on the wingtips, which should be prominent for a young scarce chaser.
And the eyes were more geenish than blueish.
IMO, those two facts pointed towards a blacktailed skimmer.

Looking at your dragonfly I get confused by the brown compound eyes.
For both - young and old blacktailed skimmer males - they should be greenish.
And looking at the brown spots at the wing roots my guess for your dragonfly could be a broad-bodied chaser.
But the abdomen is not wide enough for that.

Still mulling over this...


Edit: visible distinguishing marks between blacktailed skimmer, scarce chaser, and broad-bodied chaser
blacktailed skimmer, male (orthetrum cancellatum)

• no basal spots on any wings
• mature have green eyes

scarce chaser, male (aka. blue chaser, libellula fulva)

• basal spots only on the hind wings, fine basal lines on the fore wings
• mature have blue eyes

broad-bodied chaser, male (libellula depressa)

• large basal spots on all four wings
• mature have brown eyes

Conclusion:
Both, yours @AlanF and mine are scarce chasers if you refer to the basal marks.
As for the side view at my picture the basal marks are not so easy to detect.
The "wrong" eye colours might be from being immature.

 

[AlanF]

Thanks, Alan. Maybe you are right. Honestly I was and still am undecided between those to species.
I didn't see the the typical spots on the wingtips, which should be prominent for a young scarce chaser.
And the eyes were more geenish than blueish.
IMO, those two facts pointed towards a blacktailed skimmer.

Looking at your dragonfly I get confused by the brown compound eyes.
For both - young and old blacktailed skimmer males - they should be greenish.
And looking at the brown spots at the wing roots my guess for your dragonfly could be a broad-bodied chaser.
But the abdomen is not wide enough for that.

Still mulling over this...


Edit: visible distinguishing marks between blacktailed skimmer, scarce chaser, and broad-bodied chaser
blacktailed skimmer, male (orthetrum cancellatum)

• no basal spots on any wings
• mature have green eyes

scarce chaser, male (aka. blue chaser, libellula fulva)

• basal spots only on the hind wings, fine basal lines on the fore wings
• mature have blue eyes

broad-bodied chaser, male (libellula depressa)

• large basal spots on all four wings
• mature have brown eyes

Conclusion:
Both, yours @AlanF and mine are scarce chasers if you refer to the basal marks.
As for the side view at my picture the basal marks are not so easy to detect.
The "wrong" eye colours might be from being immature.

They are confusing, and mine do have characteristics of three species. I've seen reports of dark brown eyes of the the Black Tailed Skimmer. But, I think the dark wing bases and yellow veins are most consistent with the Scarce Chaser. It looks like one that is in the latter stages of maturation with the colour nearly complete but still with immature eye colour.

 

[AlanF]

Male Redeyed Damselfly

 

[Click]

Focus right on the eyes. Well done, Alan.

 

[AlanF]

Focus right on the eyes. Well done, Alan.

I usually do focus on the eye using a single point. But, here the eyeAF did it for me!

 

[Maximilian]

First green-eyed hawkers in 2022:

 

[Maximilian]

Large red damselflies mating.
I couldn't get an angle with both in focus

 

[Maximilian]

This must be a very, very young dragonfly.
I recognized it because it was flying more like a butterfly than a dragonfly.
And even though it was cloudy the wings are shining with reflections. I suppose they are not dried yet.
As it is so young and immarture it is difficult to determine.
It could be a black-tailed skimmer (no visible basal spots ), either male or female. Maybe it is a darter

 

[AlanF]

This must be a very, very young dragonfly.
I recognized it because it was flying more like a butterfly than a dragonfly.
And even though it was cloudy the wings are shining with reflections. I suppose they are not dried yet.
As it is so young and immarture it is difficult to determine.
It could be a black-tailed skimmer (no visible basal spots ), either male or female. Maybe it is a darter

View attachment 203875

You are lucky to see so many - very few here.

 

[AlanF]

First green-eyed hawkers in 2022:

View attachment 203872View attachment 203871

Nice shots of a less common species.

 

[Click]

Very nice series. I really like the first picture. Great shot!

 

[Maximilian]

Nice shots of a less common species.

At our ponds those are very common.
In Bavaria they are listed "near threatened" to "vulnerable" in Germany "least concern".
When I started to catalogue the species around these ponds I was expecting some 10 different dragonflies and damselflies.
Now I am at 23 plus the golden-ringed dragonfly living in die forest but not coming to the ponds.
Yes I feel really lucky having so much diversity nearby
So if you are ever around Nürnberg...

 

[Maximilian]

You are lucky to see so many - very few here.

Right now I just take every chance to go to the ponds. I start work early, so I can end early whenever possible.
Being out there makes everything that happens right now in the world more bearable.

 

[Nemorino]

And this should be my first black-tailed skimmer male scarce chaser (edit, thank you @AlanF ) in 2022:

It's actually a Scarce Chaser. By coincidence, I got my first Blacktailed Skimmer today. The Scarce Chaser has blue eyes. This Blacktailed is still immature. Edit: the yellow veins and dark bases of the wings are more consistent with a Scarce Chaser.

I just had a look at wikipedia and would say the picture of maximillian is a black-tailed skimmer and the one of Alan is a Scarce Chaser:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-tailed_skimmer
"The wings spread more or less horizontally in repose. They are dissimilar in shape and venation, sessile, unpatterned and clear."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libellula_depressa
"Both fore and hind wings have a dark patch at the base."

 

[Nemorino]

Female Black-tailed skimmer:
Edit:
OK, Alan, it´s a Four spotted chaser.
R5, RF 100-400 @ f/9, 1/3200, ISO 1000, 225mm



R5 + RF100 2.8L
@ f/13, 1/1000, Iso 5000

 

[AlanF]

Female Black-tailed skimmer:

R5, RF 100-400 @ f/9, 1/3200, ISO 1000, 225mm
View attachment 203924
View attachment 203925

R5 + RF100 2.8L
@ f/13, 1/1000, Iso 5000

View attachment 203926

It's a Four Spot Chaser.

 

[AlanF]

I just had a look at wikipedia and would say the picture of maximillian is a black-tailed skimmer and the one of Alan is a Scarce Chaser:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-tailed_skimmer
"The wings spread more or less horizontally in repose. They are dissimilar in shape and venation, sessile, unpatterned and clear."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libellula_depressa
"Both fore and hind wings have a dark patch at the base."

Both Maximilian and I have agreed, above, that mine is a Scarce Chaser. Maximilian's is not so clear but he has come down on the side of the Scarce Chaser. Your Four Spot Chaser, on the other hand is unambiguous because it has 4 spots on its wings.

 

[AlanF]

First Banded Damsel in flight for the year for me.

 

[Click]

Beautiful shot, Alan.

 

[Click]

Very nice series, Nemorino. I especially like the last picture.