Spanish Dragonflies for I.D. Please (1 Viewer)

[redeyedvideo]

These were all taken in Andalucia recently, are the first 3 the same species? I'm guessing Keeled Skimmer for no.4? Any help gratefully received, thanks.

 

[aeshna5]

These were all taken in Andalucia recently, are the first 3 the same species? I'm guessing Keeled Skimmer for no.4? Any help gratefully received, thanks.

First three are adult male, imm. male + female Northern Banded Groundling, Brachythemis impartita which has recently been split from B. leucosticta agg. Apparently the former is the only one north of the Sahara. These are basically common African species. There's an interesting article about the expansion of African dragonflies into Iberia in the latest Atropos magazine.

Think you're right with southern form of Keeled Skimmer

 

[redeyedvideo]

Thanks for your informed reply, very interesting, thanks.

One more I nearly forgot about, a clubtail? This was taken in the Sierra de Cazorla mountain range.

 

[pdwinter]

One more I nearly forgot about, a clubtail? This was taken in the Sierra de Cazorla mountain range.

I think it's a male Large Pincertail (Onychogomphus uncatus) - a pic of the wings from above or the appendages from the side would confirm it wasn't Onychogomphus forcipatus.

 

[redeyedvideo]

Thanks Paul, it's looking like one of the species you've mentioned, here's another photo showing the wings. I'm not sure what I'm looking for so confirmation and any I.D. pointers would be good.

 

[pdwinter]

Hi Dave

Your 2nd pic of the pincertail shows the four-celled anal triangle which together with the all black vertex and the patterning on the thorax in pic 1 are enough features to confirm Large rather than Small Pincertail.

I've attached a pic highlighting the features and a a small one of the appendages of a Large Pincertail which are diagnostic but a lot more difficult to see and/or photograph than the other features.

Steve Jones has a page showing the appendages of Small Pincertail
http://www.cornishnature.co.uk/drag...mall-pincertail-onychogomphus-forcipatus.html

Pages 198-200 of Dijkstra are very useful (that's where I got the info from!)

Cheers, Paul

PS I've also put up a pic of a really mature male Brachythemis impartita where all the pale markings have gone.

 

[redeyedvideo]

Many thanks for your replies once again Paul & aeshna5, this is a new interest for me as you can probably tell, brought about by the wonders of digital photography.

 

[Barred Wobbler]

A most timely post.

I've just arrived in Spain this afternoon and after checking into the digs I went to look at Sierra Crestellina and the nearby Rio Genal. Last year at the same time I had orange-winged dropwing and violet dropwing.

No sign of either today, but I came across a few dragons that to my eye look the same on my camera screen as this pincertail. I've not got any facility here to download and edit, but I might be posting some pics of them here when I get home later in the month.

 

[redeyedvideo]

Have a great trip!

One area I visited where the Keeled Skimmer was taken had Copper Demoiselle on virtually every stem, there were also some colourful shieldbugs including Graphosoma italicum.

 

[Barred Wobbler]

Well I'm back home and shaking off the effects of the trip.

This is the pincertail I saw on the Rio Genal near Gaucin, Andalucia.

Specific ID would be most appreciated (I caught up with both violet and orange-winged dropwings at the same site on another visit).

There are a couple of demoiselles from the Rio Guadalmina also.I recall seeing the black one a good number of years ago on Menorca.

 

[pdwinter]

Well I'm back home and shaking off the effects of the trip.

This is the pincertail I saw on the Rio Genal near Gaucin, Andalucia.

Specific ID would be most appreciated (I caught up with both violet and orange-winged dropwings at the same site on another visit).

There are a couple of demoiselles from the Rio Guadalmina also.I recall seeing the black one a good number of years ago on Menorca.

The demoiselles are female and male Copper (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis) and I think the pincertail is Small (Onychogomphus forcipatus) based on markings but I'm struggling to count the cells in the hindwing anal triangle (either my monitor or my eyesight!)

 

[Barred Wobbler]

Does this view help?

 

[pdwinter]

Does this view help?

yes - from what I can see there are 3 cells in the triangle. The Small Pincertail usually has three and the Large Pincertail usually has four. There is some yellow on the vertex and the black lines on the side of the thorax connect to the black line down the top of the thorax which are both pro Small Pincertail features.

There is an article http://www.cornishnature.co.uk/drag...mall-pincertail-onychogomphus-forcipatus.html with some good illustrations.

Dijkstra has all the illustrations of the differences.

Paul

 

[Barred Wobbler]

Thanks Paul.

 

[RoyW]

I would say that Barred Wobblers Pincertail is definitely forcipatus.