CLOSED: Skimmer Dragonfly?

I looked at the links in the last Dragonfly ID request, but between my pokey dial-up and so many different ones, I'm not sure which one this is. Anyone else familar with this little guy?

Here's a view from the top side - if that will help?

Multiple pictures of dragonflies are always helpful, and only partly because I like looking at dragonflies. Your visitor appears to be a female Swift Setwing, Dythemis velox. Here is a picture of one online:
http://stephenville.tamu.edu/~fmitchel/dragonfly/Libellulidae/t_710f.htm
and the rest of the images are at the bottom of this page:
http://stephenville.tamu.edu/~fmitchel/dragonfly/Libellulidae/dythe.htm

You can see where they get the setwing name, but the swift part becomes apparent when you try and catch one. They are not always prone to pose for cameras either, so you took advantage of a good opportunity.

FM

Indeed they are fast and usually pretty elusive too. I've tried several times to get close enough for a quality photo and yesterday was a first. I'm thinking it may have something to do with the water I was providing? It's been so hot and dry down here that the normal water sources are becoming far and few between.

Speaking of which . . . I just came in from watering a few plants that were in desprite need and of course I took my camera with me. (just in case) I'm not sure if this is the same one or not, but it appears I've made a new friend in my garden :)

I was amazed at how close she let me get to her. She seems to like this one red bloom that is starting to open on a plant I have (still need an ID on that one too . . . lol)

The camera was not focusing at all the angles I wanted, so I eased my hand closer to her to use as a backdrop and she didn't seem to mind at all. At one point I she even allowed me to touch her wing and didn't offer to fly away. I guess she realizes that I don't intend her any harm or maybe she's a camera hog :D

Thanks for the ID and the links. I've always enjoyed Dragonflies also.

Here's one with me touching her.

Now that I get to looking at these images closer, I realize this is a different one . . . hmmmm so what type is this one?

I took about 20 close-up like these if more are needed for an ID on this one?

Then I took a few of this neat looking one down on the antena of my gate opener. This one also didn't mind a pose or two :D

I have seen this one in the same location many times, but was never able to get this close before. Must be my lucky day :)

One more of the gate keeper :)

You're right GDR - the second one is a female Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax longipennis. For whatever reason, this species is sometimes very approachable. Other times you can't even move without spooking them. It reminds me of those videos of the South African meerkats that are so very vigilant but don't even notice the people standing beside them until they reach down and scratch their ears. The gatekeeper is a female Halloween Pennant, Celithemis eponina. Female dragonflies are more prone to wander about than the males, since they are busy looking for new water sources where they can lay their eggs. Conversely, males are more likely to be found by the water since they are awaiting the arrival of the wandering females. If you want to see the males, the pennants are here:
http://www.dragonflies.org/l_cat1.htm
about a quarter of the way down the page and the dashers are here:
http://www.dragonflies.org/l_cat2.htm
about a third of the way down the page.

FM

Thanks FM . . . you helped a lot. I'll check those links and also check these species in the BugFiles to see if I should add these images there. If any of the pages here on DG are lacking any of these, I'll post the best ones I have and let you know here to look for them there - since you enjoy Dragonfly pics :D

I have been try'n to get a better photo of this one, but everytime I'm about to get close enough for a decent pic, one of my dogs comes to *help* and ultimately prevents me from getting a close-up.

I'm sure you'll know this one and I'm guessing there are already plenty of good pics if it in BugFiles. But I'll keep try'n for my own personal collection all the same :)

Thanks again,
GD

You finally got a male in the bunch GD. It's a mature male Common Whitetail, Libellula lydia. The 'common' in its name doesn't do it justice though. I probably field more letters about this one and the flame and neon skimmers than all the others put together. They are frequent visitors to backyards and will sometimes take up residence for a few days. Females do not have the white frosting, but have more spots on their wings. They like to perch on the ground, logs or rocks as opposed to twigs like other dragonflies, although they can. The females and immature males will forage in wooded areas around ponds while the mature males patrol the banks, engaging in numerous dogfights over territory. They are not as territorial when in the backyard and I have had as many as four at a time peacefully (for dragonflies) inhabiting garden area. My collection of images for this species is at:
http://stephenville.tamu.edu/~fmitchel/dragonfly/Libellulidae/libell.htm
a little more than halfway down the page.

FM

Very nice photos FM . . . thanks for share'n them and all the info.

I'll see if my new little friend is out there wait'n for her picture to be taken again today . . . maybe she'll bring some more friends along to the photo shoot. . . lol :D

I finally got close enough to a blue one to get a few good photos. These have been very skitish until this afternoon. It took about 30 photos to get a few good ones. I need to upgrade to a manual focus camera. lol

I'll add a few more images of this Blue Dasher in the BugFiles for ya . . . he was kind enough to pose for several nice shots.