# Unknown...



## rcarca (Sep 8, 2012)

Can anyone tell me what this is? It sunned itself for long enough for a couple of shots. It looks like it has been in the wars:




Unknown... by RCARCARCA, on Flickr

EXIF: 5Dmkiii, 24-105mm at 105, 1/1000 sec, f4.0, ISO500

Richard


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## Kernuak (Sep 8, 2012)

It's one of the darter dragonflies (Libellulidae, Sympetrum spp.), although I'm not sure which one; it depends where in the world it was shot to make a firmer ID.


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## rcarca (Sep 8, 2012)

Kernuak said:


> It's one of the darter dragonflies (Libellulidae, Sympetrum spp.), although I'm not sure which one; it depends where in the world it was shot to make a firmer ID.



Thanks for that. I have been told it is a common darter, mature female. This was taken in Marlow, on the edge of the Thames Valley to the west of London in the UK.

Richard


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## distant.star (Sep 8, 2012)

.
Great colors!


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## Kernuak (Sep 9, 2012)

rcarca said:


> Kernuak said:
> 
> 
> > It's one of the darter dragonflies (Libellulidae, Sympetrum spp.), although I'm not sure which one; it depends where in the world it was shot to make a firmer ID.
> ...


The colours match those of a female common darter, it just looked a little like there were some secondary genitalia under the wing. The other possibility, is that it is an immature male, which can lack the red abdomen.


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