Arizona Heating Up

Well, the dragonfly activity in Arizona is certainly heating up—as are the temperatures. In fact, the dragonflies are much more active here than they were in Costa Rica a week ago. We went to the Gilbert Water Ranch two days ago and were surprised at all the dragonflies and damselflies that were out to greet us. Here's our odonate list:

Blue-ringed Dancer
Familiar Bluet

Mexican Amberwing
Flame Skimmer
Blue Dasher
Roseate Skimmer

We don't remember seeing the Mexican Amberwing at the water ranch before, so that was a pleasant surprise. Here's a look at one of males we saw:



This small dragonfly looks a bit like a wasp, which may provide it some protection. Notice the dark brownish-red areas on top of the eyes. These are the dorsal fovea, the areas that provide the dragonfly with its best vision.

Just after seeing this dragonfly, we commented on how nice it would be to see the much larger and more brilliantly colored Flame Skimmer. Right on cue, a mature male came in and landed directly in front of us. Here it is:



Shortly after that, we saw this Familiar Bluet, just like the one we saw in Costa Rica:



All in all, a nice day at the water ranch, with lots of dragonflies and damselflies—and this was in addition to the 35 species of birds we saw!

Species Spotlight: Eastern Amberwing

In Arizona we have a small, orangish red dragonfly known as the Mexican Amberwing. Its small size and color make it a bit of a wasp mimic—presumably it is left alone by birds who have had unpleasant experiences with wasps in the past. Here's the Mexican Amberwing:



This is a male, as you can see by the hamules projecting downward below segment 2 of the abdomen. Also notice the amber-colored wings, from which the species derives its name.

Now, on the east coast there is also an amberwing dragonfly, but a different species—the Eastern Amberwing. Its color and size are similar to the Mexican Amberwing, though it's a bit darker red. Here's an Eastern Amberwing at the retention pond mentioned in the previous post on the Slaty Skimmer:





In amberwings, males select an appropriate egg-laying site, guard it from intrusions by other males, and escort females to their chosen spot for her approval. The males make dipping motions—touching the water with the tip of their abdomen—in an effort to entice the female to accept the location and begin laying eggs herself. It's an interesting bit of behavior to observe.

When the female isn't going about the business of laying eggs, she's generally perched in nearby vegetation. Here's a female Eastern Amberwing resting in bushes along the shore of the retention pond:





Notice the wing patches, as opposed to the amber wings of the male, and the broad abdomen. Quite a striking dragonfly.