Category: Dragonflies

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/22/23 Observation Time: 11:00 a.m. Observation Location: Gavins Pond Common Name: Slaty Skimmer dragonfly (immature male) Scientific Name: Libellula incesta Comments: This is an immature male.  Click HERE to learn how to tell the differences among male, female and immature slaty skimmers. More Information: Odonata.bogfoot.net

Observer: Josh Simons Observation Date: 6/21/22 Observation Time: 11:50 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill area Common Name: Painted Skimmer dragonfly Scientific Name: Libellula semifasciata Comments: Painted Skimmers live up to their name, and the wings especially glow with color. A rich brown, the thorax has two whitish to yellow diagonal stripes on each side. The abdomen has yellow edges and a jagged black central stripe on the […]

Observer: Josh Simons Observation Date: 6/14/20 Observation Time: 1:15 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill area Common Name: Common Pondhawk (or Eastern Pondhawk) dragonfly (female) Scientific Name: Erythemis simplicicollis Comments: Pondhawk dragonflies are voracious hunters, but they are completely harmless to humans. Females are green. Males are blue. Females oviposit in flight, hovering low over the water and repeatedly dipping their abdomens into the water to release […]

Observer: Josh Simons Observation Date: 6/14/20 Observation Time: 11:30 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill area Common Name: Slaty Skimmer dragonfly (female) Scientific Name: Libellula incesta Comments: Watch this video of the slaty skimmer dragonfly as it oviposits at Gavins Pond. More Photos: Odonata.bogfoot.net

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/9/20 Observation Time: 1:30 p.m. Observation Location: field near Gavins Pond dam Common Name: Harlequin Darner dragonfly (male) Scientific Name: Gomphaeschna furcillata Comments: The Harlequin Darner is a member of the Aeshnidae family of dragonflies. This species occurs across much of the eastern United States and parts of southeast Canada. Its range extends to eastern Texas. Harlequin darners resemble taper-tailed darners. The pale 7-shaped […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/2/20 Observation Time: 1:15 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (TTOR) Common Name: Harlequin Darner dragonfly Scientific Name: Gomphaeschna furcillata Comments: The Harlequin Darner is a member of the Aeshnidae family of dragonflies. The species occurs across much of the eastern United States and parts of southeast Canada. Its range extends to eastern Texas. Harlequin darners resemble taper-tailed dragonflies. The pale 7-shaped mark […]

Observer: Josh Simons Observation Date: 5/31/20 Observation Time: 2:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill area Common Name: Chalk-fronted corporal dragonfly (male) Scientific Name: Ladona julia Comments: This species of skimmer dragonfly is typically observed near local marshes and lakes with a decaying organic substrate. More Information: geocities

Observer: Josh Simons Observation Date: 5/31/20 Observation Time: 2:00 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill area Common Name: Dot-tailed Whiteface dragonfly (female) Scientific Name: Leucorrhinia intacta Comments: The Dot-tailed Whiteface dragonfly (Leucorrhina intacta) is a member of the Skimmer family, Libellulidae. There are over a thousand species in this brightly-colored family gracing the skies worldwide. A tenth of those are native to North America, making Skimmers […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/2/19 Observation Time: 3:10 p.m. Observation Location: beneath the high tension wires that parallel So. Walpole Street Common Name: Chalk-fronted Corporal dragonfly (juvenile) Scientific Name: Ladona julia Comments: Juveniles of both sexes are light reddish brown, with white shoulder stripes and a black stripe down the middle of the abdomen. This one seemed a bit wobbly, as if it had just […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/27/19 Observation Time: 5:00 p.m. Observation Location: on a bluff under high tension wires near S. Walpole St. Common Name: Painted Skimmer dragonfly Scientific Name: Libellula semifasciata Comments: Painted Skimmers live up to their name, and the wings especially glow with color. A rich brown, the thorax has two whitish to yellow diagonal stripes on each side. The abdomen has yellow edges and […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/21/19 Observation Time: 12:15 p.m. Observation Location: 4 Gavins Pond Road Common Name: Painted Skimmer dragonfly Scientific Name: Libellula semifasciata Comments: Painted Skimmers live up to their name, and the wings especially glow with color. A rich brown, the thorax has two whitish to yellow diagonal stripes on each side. The abdomen has yellow edges and a jagged black central stripe on […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/19/19 Observation Time: 8:00 a.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: Harlequin Darner dragonfly Scientific Name: Gomphaeschna furcillata Comments: The Harlequin Darner is a member of the Aeshnidae family of dragonflies. The species occurs across much of the eastern United States and parts of southeast Canada. Its range extends to eastern Texas. I encountered this specimen by chance on the […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 8/15/18 Observation Time: 1:15 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Common Name: White-faced Meadowhawk dragonfly (male) Scientific Name: Sympetrum obtrusum Comments: Juveniles and females have yellow abdomens. Males are red. Similar to Ruby Meadowhawk and Cherry-faced Meadowhawk, but white-faced meadowhawks have a distinctive white face. More Information: Wikipedia

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 7/7/18 Observation Time: 12:35 p.m. Observation Location: Moose Hill Farm (TTOR) Common Name: Twelve-spotted Skimmer dragonfly (female) Scientific Name: Libellula pulchella Comments: This species of dragonfly is relatively large. Lots of different species of dragonflies live in Sharon. Can you find one that’s not already recorded on this web site? More Information: Ecobirder

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/26/15 Observation Time: 2:05 p.m. Observation Location: 4 Gavins Pond Road Common Name: Common Baskettail dragonfly Scientific Name: Epitheca cynosura Comments: This is the most common baskettail within its range, hence the name. The scientific name, cynosura, means dog tail, and possibly refers to the way the cerci at the end of the abdomen curve outward like a dog wagging its tail […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 7/31/11 Observation Time: 3:45 p.m. Observation Location: Gavins Pond Road Common Name: Widow Skimmer dragonfly Scientific Name: Libellula luctuosa Comments: The widow skimmer is famous for its pruinosity – the white, waxy coating on the dragonfly’s wings and abdomen. Dragonflies have excellent eyesight. Their compound eyes have up to 30,000 facets, each of which is a separate light-sensing organ or […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 7/3/10 Observation Time: 8:05 a.m. Observation Location: near Gavins Pond Common Name: Widow Skimmer dragonfly Scientific Name: Libellula luctuosa Comments: Odonates (dragonflies) are completely harmless – they do not sting or bite. Indeed, they are beneficial in the same way spiders and other predators are beneficial – they keep the burgeoning insect population in check. More Information: North American Insects and […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/26/14 Observation Time: 12:10 p.m. Observation Location: Borderland State Park Common Name: White Corporal dragonfly (female) Scientific Name: Libellula (Ladona) exusta Comments: Dragonflies eat insects. That’s a good thing because bat populations have plummeted due to a mysterious disease called white-nose. More Information: White corporal dragonfly

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/25/11 Observation Time: 12:25 p.m. Observation Location: Gavins Pond Common Name: White Corporal dragonfly (female) Scientific Name: Libellula (Ladona) exusta Comments: The pale rusty abdomen indicates this is a young female. Older females have a drab white abdomen more similar to the males. Found in fields and clearings near water. White corporals inhabit the northeast coastal plain into SE Canada. Fairly common in […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/17/13 Observation Time: 4:00 p.m. Observation Location: Gavins Pond Dam Common Name: Spangled Skimmer dragonfly (male) Scientific Name: Libellula cyanea Comments: Males of this species are blue, while females are brown. Both have striking white and black stigmas on their wings. No other dragonfly in the Northeast has white stigmas on its wings. Males are territorial. More Information: Dragonflies and Damselflies of NJ

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/19/12 Observation Time: 5:40 p.m. Observation Location: dirt road leading to Gavins Pond Dam Common Name: Spangled skimmer dragonfly (female) Scientific Name: Libellula cyanea Comments: This photo is a female. Male spangled skimmers are slate blue. Hence the species name “cyanea” which refers to its cyan (blue) coloration. Identifying dragonflies and damselflies is fun. Get a copy of A Field Guide to the Dragonflies and […]

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 6/19/13 Observation Time: 2:05 p.m. Observation Location: Gavins Pond Dam Common Name: Lancet Clubtail dragonfly (male) Scientific Name: Gomphus exilis Comments: Once you’ve learned all the birds, you can take up the challenge of learning the dragonflies. Start by getting a book like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Dragonflies-Damselflies-Princeton-Field-Guides/dp/0691122830 More Information: Wikipedia

Observer: Paul Lauenstein Observation Date: 5/24/11 Observation Time: 4:10 p.m. Observation Location: Gavins Pond Common Name: Lancet Clubtail dragonfly (male) Scientific Name: Gomphus exilis Comments: Male lancet clubtails have claspers at the end of the abdomen, which females lack. Lancet clubtails are common in Massachusetts near slow streams and ponds. The name lancet comes from the dagger-shaped marking on the abdomen. The clubtail moniker comes from the […]