Can you guess what is pictured in photo below?
The answer to last week’s mystery is eastern amberwing, Perithemis tenera, pictured below:
The eastern amberwing is a small species of dragonfly that only reaches about 1 inch in length. It is the second smallest dragonfly in the United States. Males have clear amber-colored wings, while females have blotch-patterned wings.
Amberwing larvae are aquatic. They have six legs and small wing buds. Gills are located inside the rectum. They breathe by drawing water in and out of their hind end. By forcefully expelling this water, the larvae can move quickly in a form of jet.
Amberwings have the most intricate courtship of any dragonfly. After the male selects several possible egg laying sites, he finds a female and leads her back to his potential nursery. To attract her, he sways back and forth, and hovers with his abdomen raised. Mating only occurs if the females approve – making this one of the few dragonflies where females choose the males.
In late summer, males can be seen along the shores of lakes, ponds, marshes, and slow sections of rivers, bays, and canals. Females are often found in meadows among summer wildflowers.
Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy Newspapers and Adkins Arboretum.
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