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Common Whitetail male

Plathemis lydia

Photo by joanbstanley
Published on Project Noah
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31.1116, -97.4686

Field Notes

Description:

Body is about 1.7 inches long. Adult males with pruinose tails. Females resemble female twelve-spotted skimmers.

Habitat:

Gravel path in Miller Springs Park.

Notes:

The adult male common whitetail skimmer has a bluish-white tail that it uses to flash warnings to other males that intrude into his territory. This whitish tail coloration, however, is not its actual color, but a waxy covering called "prunosity," that naturally occurs as the dragonfly matures.

Reference Links:

Common Whitetail

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Spotted for Missions

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Global Dragonflies & Damselflies
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Central Texas Biodiversity Survey
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State Parks, NWR, WMA's of Texas
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National Geographic's Great Nature Project

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Photographed
PublishedJuly 25, 2014

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