CLOSED: Can anyone ID this stunning dragonfly?

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j_b_burrell Cairo, Egypt Jun 07, 2008

This was see near fresh water southwest of Cairo in Egypt and I have never seen a blue one before.

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philomel Castelnau RB Pyren�e, France(Zone 8a) Jun 07, 2008

I can't quite make out all the distinguishing features, but think it could be Epallage fatime, family Euphaeidae. This certainly occurs in that part of the world and is large and blue
Perhaps someone more knowledgeable may be along........

A beauty jb :)

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wallaby1 Lincoln, United Kingdom(Zone 8a) Jun 07, 2008

Epallage fatime is said to be rare, distribution:

"The only representative of the Oriental family, occurring in the south of the Iranian-Turanian subregion and the east of the Mediterranean subregion of the Palearctic - the European part of Turkey, south-eastern Bulgaria, Greece and Macedonia."

http://www.grid.unep.ch/bsein/redbook/txt/epallage.htm?%20INSECTA

Apart from that the description desn't quite match, and Epallage fatime has dark wing tips.

http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=Epallage%20fatime&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

It looks like a Libellula, but I may be wrong. This link gives some Odonata with locations,

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=gLZvT_njEF4C&pg=PA426&lpg=PA426&dq=libellula+egypt&source=web&ots=1xOwbn8Udq&sig=AKeNbCu7lBmbCRYqsSTHOq_OtVg&hl=en

A list of Libellulidae with synonyms, where Libellula bremii is a syn. of Libellula trinacria

http://www.ups.edu/x14364.xml

From a search of Libellula trinacria I found this site which places it under ORTHETRUM, as O. trinacria trinacria with distribution:

"Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Northern Province, to the Mediterranean; November to March, July"

http://www.ru.ac.za/academic/departments/zooento/Martin/libellulidae.html

There is a pic of Orthetrum trinacria on the next link from Valencia, the 'macho' or male is similar but with a darker abdomen. This could be another species, or the colour of a young male as they do change when mature. The wings and pterostigma look the same, there is a very distinctive dip in the middle of the leading edge with a dark vein. I also notice they have mentioned if the dragonfly is an immature one.

http://juanantoniotovar.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html

Another pic when searched for Orthetrum trinacria whiich is closer in colour,

http://www.flickr.com/photos/muftillo/799058196/

Another, Ortheptra brunneum is also blue but the body looks broader,

http://juanantoniotovar.blogspot.com/2007/06/orthetrum-brunneum.html

More on dragonflies in Egypt with locations,

http://www.libellen.org/epallage/pubs/egypt.html

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wallaby1 Lincoln, United Kingdom(Zone 8a) Jun 07, 2008

Orthetrum chrysostigma (male) is a possibilty also, but I'm having trouble finding a good enough pic,

http://www.tiuli.com/animals/shapirit_khula.jpg

http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=Orthetrum%20chrysostigma%20&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

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LEO88 Big Rapids, MI(Zone 4b) Jun 07, 2008

looks like a mature Libellulidae... the blue color is called "Pruinescence" & develops with age. Unless you find an expert on Odonata, that wants to key the species thru details in wing veination, & anal appendages... just call it a "Skimmer"...LOL.

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