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Dragonfly ID - Devon (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Laurie93
- Start date
Ruby
Well-known member
A bit of a clincher would be whether the wing bases are transparent (BT Skimmer) or dark (Scarce Chaser) but I can't really make it out on the pic - the dark thorax isn't helping! Definitely one or the other I reckon!
Here's a pic of a male BT Skimmer, and I would expect to see some evidence of the yellow abdominal sides if that's what yours is.... My 2p bet would be on Scarce Chaser personally, but with less than 100% confidence, as know how variable dragonflies and damselflies can be!
If you don't have any luck on here, you could always try the British Dragonfly Society - they run an id service...
Good luck! Ray
Here's a pic of a male BT Skimmer, and I would expect to see some evidence of the yellow abdominal sides if that's what yours is.... My 2p bet would be on Scarce Chaser personally, but with less than 100% confidence, as know how variable dragonflies and damselflies can be!
If you don't have any luck on here, you could always try the British Dragonfly Society - they run an id service...
Good luck! Ray
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Ruby
Well-known member
Hmm.... Not too happy about this, so doing a bit of further research....
Coincidently, here's a pic that I took yesterday....
If you blow it up, you can just about see a tiny trace of yellow, but scarcely there at all, and all other features of this one point to BT Skimmer, so happy now that is what yours is too!
Rgds.... Ray
Coincidently, here's a pic that I took yesterday....
If you blow it up, you can just about see a tiny trace of yellow, but scarcely there at all, and all other features of this one point to BT Skimmer, so happy now that is what yours is too!
Rgds.... Ray
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Larry Sweetland
Formerly 'Larry Wheatland'
I think the greenish-looking eyes and pale frons might be better for BTS than SC, but I'm far from being an expert at this.
Ruby
Well-known member
Glad we all got there in the finish!
Just noticed actually that SC have a dark smudge on the wing-tips that BTS lack... always good to have as many field marks as possible I reckon - not always easy to get a photo that will show them all!
Just noticed actually that SC have a dark smudge on the wing-tips that BTS lack... always good to have as many field marks as possible I reckon - not always easy to get a photo that will show them all!
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Ruby
Well-known member
Yes, I spotted that.... although my books (all illustrated by Lewington, so not really surprising that they should all concur) suggest that only some males might show the dark wing tips, and it does appear to be much smaller than on females, and certainly smaller and less significant than the ones on my pic...so that alone might suggest it to be a female.
Must say that I hadn't previously noticed any of this myself - I'd just taken a cursory look at a blue insect and wrongly assumed it to be a male.... It just goes to show how tricky dragonfly ids can be.... Not only are major field-marks unreliable, but cross-dressing too!!!:eek!:
Just for interest, this is what a female Scarce Chaser is supposed to look like - what chance have you got in the field!!
All the best..... Ray
Must say that I hadn't previously noticed any of this myself - I'd just taken a cursory look at a blue insect and wrongly assumed it to be a male.... It just goes to show how tricky dragonfly ids can be.... Not only are major field-marks unreliable, but cross-dressing too!!!:eek!:
Just for interest, this is what a female Scarce Chaser is supposed to look like - what chance have you got in the field!!
All the best..... Ray
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Last edited:
Laurie93
Well-known member
How do you manage to get a dragonfly in the hand without it flying off!?
Was just pointing out from the photo that certain ID was impossible but that I agreed.
Laurie - that individual was netted and held a while to confirm ID (very close to a VC first). After being held with folded wings they will often sit a while to recompose themselves. No good for nice photos though as they almost always show a little tell tale bowing of the wings.
O
Laurie - that individual was netted and held a while to confirm ID (very close to a VC first). After being held with folded wings they will often sit a while to recompose themselves. No good for nice photos though as they almost always show a little tell tale bowing of the wings.
O
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