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3. Dragonflys Grindstone Lake Wisconsin

These dragonflys hatch after the mayflys on Grindstone Lake near Hayward, Wisconsin, and feed on them. These photos were taken June 25, 2008. Cany you identify them? Thanks, .....Dave

Dave,

I'll take a guess, but I'm not good at dragonfly IDs. The pretty one at the top looks like a gomphid (Clubtail), but I have no idea which one. The less pretty one that is emerging looks an aeshnid (Darner). I'd suggest waiting for another opinion from someone who knows their Anisoptera.

Strange, I took this dragonfly photo on June 12th, 2008 just about 30 miles north of you. Looks like the same bug.

They're actually the same. The one emerging just hadn't filled out yet. They emerge in such large numbers the air is full of them, all around the lake. I watched the nymphs swimming into shore and climbing out on several mornings. I collected a few for bait, and took several very large 'gills and pumpkinseed. It seems as long as the brown drakes are hatching, these are too.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean, Dave. Are you saying that you think the top photo and the second photo are the same dragonfly species?

Although I'm not great at identifying dragonflies, I'm pretty sure they are not. One way fairly easy way that you can tell is by looking at the eyes. The eyes of most dragonfly species touch in the middle. That trait is most pronounced in the Aeshnidae, and their very large eyes form a seam where they meet. That was the main reason that I suggested that your emerging dragonfly might be in that family. (John's dragonfly is probably in the same family as yours, but I can't say if it might be same genus/species.) Beyond that, judging the genus/species of a teneral (freshly emerged) dragonfly gets a bit tricky because the color and markings that help to distinguish most adults aren't fully developed yet. In that sense, you are quite right that it hasn't filled out yet.

The dragonfly at the top, however, has smaller eyes that are much further apart. This is a trait of two common families, the Gomphidae and the Petaluridae (Petaltails). The pattern on the body of the dragonfly in the top photo looks much more like most gomphids than most petalurids to me, and that is why I suggested Gomphidae as the likely family.

Aeshnids and gomphids are very different in other ways. Gomphids tend to be stream and river dwellers. Although the dragonfly in the top photo might have come from the lake, it could also have come from a stream, and was just visiting the lake to feed.

Sorry, but when I said that I'm not good at dragonflies, I didn't mean to imply that I don't know anything about them. It's just that there are some outstanding professional aquatic entomologists who frequent this site, and I was hoping that one of them could tell you much more than I can. Taking your dragonflies to the family level is about the best that I could attempt with my limited knowledge, and I'm not sure that I have it right. But, I am as sure as I know how to be that they do belong to very different families.

Best wishes,
Gonzo

Gonzo, he is saying he agrees with me that my dragonfly photo and his second dragonfly photo look to be the same species.

Thanks, John. That was my first interpretation as well. But then, because both your specimen and his are emerging, my second thought was that Dave must have been referring to his first and second photos. My apologies to both of you for droning on; I probably should have let well-enough alone.

Gonzo, I am always happy to read your input.

Happy 4th!! I will be chasing those spotted fishies in my inflatable pontoon boat. If I don't loose my rod & reel and I don't fall in it should be a blast!

Happy 4th to you, John! And happy finning in the new boat...umm, I mean...you did buy a pair of fins to go with your boat, didn't you? Fins are really the ticket on stillwaters. And Scotty makes a nice adjustable fly-rod-holder for pontoon boats. You can even use it for trolling if you're feeling lazy. (Just thought you might need another excuse to go to Cabela's!) :)

I have oars and some crappy fins. I did get a Scotty rod holder, but it still worries me about loosing a rod and reel in the water. I figure I will start with a rod I got from the St. Croix's outlet store in Park Falls, WI. They have some great graphite fly rods for low prices and I cannot find the flaw in them. At least if I dump one of those rods over board it will not hurt as much, but the reel will still be a dreadful loss.

I don't think I will be trolling a big Hex. wiggle nymph. :)

As was previously suggested, the top is a teneral (freshly emerged) clubtail. Based on the markings on segment 10, possibly a Lancet or Ashy. The second picture shows a dragonfly that is just emerging. It only has a single stripe on the thorax and is therefore a cruiser. Probably a Stream Cruiser. The exuvae (nymph skin) has really long legs which also fit that ID.