CLOSED: Dragonflies need to be identified

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Dinu Mysore, India(Zone 10a) Apr 18, 2007

A few dragonflies hover around in my garden and I've been following them. Where do they belong? Please help.

#1.

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Dinu Mysore, India(Zone 10a) Apr 18, 2007

#2

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Dinu Mysore, India(Zone 10a) Apr 18, 2007

#3, molting.

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claypa West Pottsgrove, PA(Zone 6b) Apr 18, 2007

I still think no.2 is Diplacodes sp., and probably no.1 too.
Have you seen this site, Dinu? I'm sure they would love to see your photos and identify them for you as well:

http://www.asia-dragonfly.net/index.php


http://www.asia-dragonfly.net/help/howtoPostPhoto.php

I'm looking forward to seeing some Odonata around here soon!

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Dinu Mysore, India(Zone 10a) Apr 22, 2007

Yes, Claypa. It is a Diplacodes. Looks very very close to trivialis, looking at the demarcations on the body.

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Dinu Mysore, India(Zone 10a) Apr 23, 2007

http://www.nerdybirders.com/html/dragonflies/brachythemis-contaminata.html

My search gave me this on the #1 up there. Please suggest.

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claypa West Pottsgrove, PA(Zone 6b) Apr 23, 2007

It looks right... it's probably a female. I wish I could say for certain!

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Dinu Mysore, India(Zone 10a) Apr 23, 2007

Here is another shot I managed from another angle. This may be a guide?

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kennedyh Churchill, Victoria, Australia(Zone 10a) Apr 23, 2007

Dinu, I think that # 1 is probably the Ruddy Marsh Skimmer (Crocothemis servilia) http://www.nerdybirders.com/html/dragonflies/ruddym.html
the Ditch Jewel has more extensive orange patches on the wings.
I agree with the Ground Skimmer (Diplacodes trivialis) for # 2, but this is a different dragonfly from the one you have previously entered as Diplacodes trivialis.
It is possible that # 3 is also the Ground Skimmer, but it is so new, that its colouring is not yet fully development and it would be hard to make a positive ID.
Your last shot (Here is another shot I managed from another angle.) looks to me to be different from all the others, and this one might be the Ditch Jewel (Brachythemis contaminata): http://www.nerdybirders.com/html/dragonflies/brachythemis-contaminata.html , but you would need a different view of this one to be certain.

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Dinu Mysore, India(Zone 10a) May 05, 2007

#1 again, which you suggest as Ruddy Marsh Skimmer:
Look at the tip of the 'tail' to this recent shot. The wings have an orange tinge only near its body alright.

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Dinu Mysore, India(Zone 10a) May 05, 2007

#3: Again.
I found these little ones in a water tank bottom last week. Could it be the young ones of #3?

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kennedyh Churchill, Victoria, Australia(Zone 10a) May 05, 2007

Dinu, I am still not sure about #1, but your latest dragonfly picture looks to be definitely the Wandering Glider or Globe Skimmer (Pantala flavescens): http://www.asia-dragonfly.net/pics/a328/odo06.jpg
http://www.asia-dragonfly.net/globalResults.php?Species=1407
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Pantala_flavescens_006_std.jpg

your final picture is certainly a Dragonfly nymph, but I couldn't find any information to identify it to the species,

Ken

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Dinu Mysore, India(Zone 10a) May 06, 2007

Thanks Kennedy. I checked the clues. IT is the globe skimmer.

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