Blue Dasher, Immature Female (Probable)

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Once again I’ve violated my self-imposed vow not to photograph any more Blue Dashers.  This dragonfly species is ubiquitous at certain locations in the Tucson area.  During the summer months at Sweetwater Wetlands thousands of them seem to perch on every available plant stem.  They’re easy to photograph, being not particularly timid in the presence of a photographer.  For these reasons I’ve tended to regard Blue Dashers as easy pickings, not worthy of repeated photographs.

But, as common as they may be, these dragonflies are also exquisitely beautiful.  When I see one like this individual, perching in an attractive setting in ideal lighting, I find it very difficult to resist making a few images.

I believe that this individual is an immature female.  I wouldn’t stake my life on that conclusion: immature dragonflies baffle me with their non-standard colors.  But, this individual closely resembles an image of an immature female Blue Dasher in what I consider to be my Bible for identifying dragonflies and damselflies, “A Field Guide to the Damselflies & Dragonflies of Arizona and Sonora.”

Whatever gender this dragonfly may be, it is gorgeous.  I especially love the two-toned compound eyes, garnet-colored above and pale blue underneath.  Mature Blue Dashers have compound eyes that are mostly turquoise in color.  I do not know the reason for the color change as members of this species mature.

This individual is perching in a posture that is characteristic of Blue Dashers.  She has her wings folded pointing somewhat forward from a right angle to her body.  That differentiates her from other species that perch with wings held at right angles.

Perched, this insect truly is a delicate beauty.  We tend to forget that all dragonflies are predators and that they are almost unbelievably efficient.  A dragonfly’s hunting style is to chase down insects as small as mosquitoes and gnats in flight and to capture them in the air.  It is an extraordinarily successful predator, capturing prey about 95 percent of the time that it makes an attempt.  It succeeds thanks to acute vision and flying ability that exceeds that of just about every other creature on this planet.  A dragonfly can operate each of its four wings independently.  It can hover in place, fly in any direction including backwards, and can easily fly upside down if it wishes. I recently watched a brief documentary on dragonflies. I was astonished to learn that a dragonfly can accelerate in flight from a standstill to about 35 miles per hour (about 56 kmh) in a half-second. Don’t try doing that with your car.

Image made with a Canon 5DS-R, 180mm f3.5L Macro Lens, illuminated by Canon Ring Light, stabilized by monopod, M setting, ISO 100, f13 @ 1/160.