Red October

Recently I'd been lamenting how little time I've spent with the red dragonflies this year. Easily the least amount of time in the field with the Sympetrum dragonflies in ten years. In fact it seemed likely that I'd not see three of Minnesota's nine species: no Red-veined Meadowhawks, no Black Meadowhawks, no Saffron-winged Meadowhawks. And I nearly missed Variegated Meadowhawks as well, seeing no spring migrants, but two late season vagrants. However, today's outing to Lake Byllesby County Park near Cannon Falls helped to relieve these red dragonfly blues.

Each year this series of spring-fed ponds produces a stupendous number of Band-winged Meadowhawks. Visiting the site earlier this year and finding it completely dry, I had worried that the streak would come to an end, that this source population would disappear. By the time I'd crossed the green space between the parking lot and the trail head, a dozen or so Band-winged Meadowhawks had flown in front of me. The purpose of the visit today was to check on these dragonflies. They made it through the dry months just fine. The population was as strong as ever.

In addition to the multitudes of Band-winged Meadowhawks, there were a few White-faced Meadowhawks (how unusual for this species to be in the minority), a number of Autumn Meadowhawks, and dozens of Saffron-winged Meadowhawks. It was my first encounter with Saffron-winged Meadowhawks this year.

Saffron-winged Meadowhawks have the most distinct waist of all North American meadowhawks. As such they are a good example of what British entomologist Edward Newman had in mind when he coined the genus name “Sympetrum” in 1833. A footnote to the original description explains the origin of the word to be constructed of συμπιέζω and ητρον, the Greek verb for compress and the word for abdomen, referencing the narrowness of the abdomen sections 4 and 5. Unfortunately, this name gets mistranslated and misinterpreted because it would seem (if one didn't reference the original description) to be a construction of sym and petra, friend of stones.

Publicado el octubre 5, 2017 04:10 MAÑANA por scottking scottking

Observaciones

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

scottking

Fecha

Octubre 4, 2017 a las 01:07 TARDE CDT

Descripción

Buck Moth
McKnight Prairie
Randolph, Minnesota

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

scottking

Fecha

Octubre 4, 2017 a las 01:29 TARDE CDT

Descripción

Hover Fly
McKnight Prairie
Randolph, Minnesota

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

scottking

Fecha

Octubre 4, 2017 a las 01:25 TARDE CDT

Descripción

Robber Fly
McKnight Prairie
Randolph, Minnesota

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

scottking

Fecha

Octubre 4, 2017 a las 01:17 TARDE CDT

Descripción

American Copper
McKnight Prairie
Randolph, Minnesota

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Gaura (Oenothera gaura)

Observ.

scottking

Fecha

Octubre 4, 2017 a las 12:14 TARDE CDT

Descripción

Biennial Gaura
Lake Byllesby County Park
Cannon Falls, Minnesota

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

scottking

Fecha

Octubre 4, 2017 a las 11:41 MAÑANA CDT

Descripción

Mushroom
Lake Byllesby County Park
Cannon Falls, Minnesota

Etiquetas

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Chinche del Maple (Boisea trivittata)

Observ.

scottking

Fecha

Octubre 4, 2017 a las 11:28 MAÑANA CDT

Descripción

Boxelder Bugs
Lake Byllesby County Park
Cannon Falls, Minnesota

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

scottking

Fecha

Octubre 4, 2017 a las 11:19 MAÑANA CDT

Descripción

Deptford Pink
Lake Byllesby County Park
Cannon Falls, Minnesota

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Abejas Verde Metálico (Tribu Augochlorini)

Observ.

scottking

Fecha

Octubre 4, 2017 a las 11:12 MAÑANA CDT

Descripción

Green Metallic Bee on Dandelion
Lake Byllesby County Park
Cannon Falls, Minnesota

Etiquetas

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

scottking

Fecha

Octubre 4, 2017 a las 11:11 MAÑANA CDT

Descripción

Sheetweb Spider
Lake Byllesby County Park
Cannon Falls, Minnesota

Etiquetas

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

scottking

Fecha

Octubre 4, 2017 a las 12:23 TARDE CDT

Descripción

Saffron Meadowhawks, ovipositing
Lake Byllesby County Park
Cannon Falls, Minnesota

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

scottking

Fecha

Octubre 4, 2017 a las 12:01 TARDE CDT

Descripción

Saffron-winged Meadowhawk, female
Lake Byllesby County Park
Cannon Falls, Minnesota

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

scottking

Fecha

Octubre 4, 2017 a las 11:58 MAÑANA CDT

Descripción

Saffron-winged Meadowhawks
Lake Byllesby County Park
Cannon Falls, Minnesota

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

scottking

Fecha

Octubre 4, 2017 a las 11:29 MAÑANA CDT

Descripción

White-faced Meadowhawk, male
Lake Byllesby County Park
Cannon Falls, Minnesota

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

scottking

Fecha

Octubre 4, 2017 a las 11:25 MAÑANA CDT

Descripción

Lance-tipped Darner, male
Lake Byllesby County Park
Cannon Falls, Minnesota

Fotos / Sonidos

Qué

Rayadora de Patas Amarillas (Sympetrum vicinum)

Observ.

scottking

Fecha

Octubre 4, 2017 a las 11:18 MAÑANA CDT

Descripción

Autumn Meadowhawk, male
stuck on Hackelia seeds
Lake Byllesby County Park
Cannon Falls, Minnesota

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

scottking

Fecha

Octubre 4, 2017 a las 11:18 MAÑANA CDT

Descripción

Band-winged Meadowhawk, female
Lake Byllesby County Park
Cannon Falls, Minnesota

Fotos / Sonidos

Observ.

scottking

Fecha

Octubre 4, 2017 a las 11:08 MAÑANA CDT

Descripción

Band-winged Meadowhawk, male
Lake Byllesby County Park
Cannon Falls, Minnesota

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