Odonata
from Pawnee Prairie Park in Wichita This park, traversed by Cowskin Creek, and consisting of a large expanse of tallgrass prairie, has an interesting dragonfly fauna. It is a consistent site for the wonderful Illinois River Cruiser, Macromia illinoiensis (above, a male).
Sections of the creek may be found to be
home to the Calopterygidae (Broadwing Damselflies) Calopteryx maculata (The
Ebony Jewelwing) and Hetaerina americana (American Rubyspot).
The pond damsel, Argia apicalis, The Blue-fronted Dancer (right), is often present along and on the concrete walking paths in great abundance.
These male clubtails patrol the water at heights of a few
inches to a foot or so, and watch for females coming to the water to oviposit.
When one shows up, the male attempts to seize her and mate. Below left is a
female G. externus.
On
a return trip to Pawnee Prairie in mid August, the clubtails were absent in the
morning, and the cruisers were fewer in number. The photo below right
shows Cowskin Creek near the low water crossing on the paved trail through the
park. (My yellow lab, Joey, an experienced dragonfly hunter, is pursuing a
Macromia illinoiensis male up the creek.)
The next photo shows some Big Bluestem tallgrass in the
prairie portion of the creek. Here a number of Anax junius (Common
Green Darners) were flying, and many male and female Common Whitetails (Libellula
(Plathemis) lydia) would fly up out of their perches in the grasses as we
walked along.
The pictures below right and left show male and female Libellula lydia specimens in dorsal view, then in lateral view.
Although
there were many Argia apicalis along the creek and the walkways in the
park, there was another Coenagrionid damselfly species, Enallagma exsulans,
including a number of copulating pairs. They were found almost exclusively
in the grasses along the edge of the creek. Below are views of male and
female E. exsulans.
At the right is a photo of Enallagma exsulans in copula taken on the same day that the specimens depicted in the scans were collected.
Left:
A male gomphid, Stylurus plagiatus, collected in August, 2002 on COwskin Creek
in Pawnee Prairie Park.
Right:
In July, 2003, this male Cyrano Darner (Nasiaeschna pentacantha) was
flying around over a shaded pool on Cowskin Creek.
(These visits made in July & August, 2000 and July, 2003.)