Waiting for white
In the past few days, the air has been swarming with Common Whitetail dragonflies... only, they don't yet have white tails. This one is certainly a male—the pattern of the wings is a giveaway—but it's an immature guy, or, to be more technically correct, it's a teneral and only recently having emerged from the water. In a couple of weeks, that brown abdomen with start turning white, or, again to be more technically correct, it will develop what's called pruinosity, a blue-tinged white color that's as handsome as it is striking... and, I'm told, intimidating to rival males. For now, this gentleman is simply waiting for the change—and a chance to win the breeding sweepstakes.
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© Bruce Fellman