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Yellow-tipped Helicopter

Mecistogaster ornata Rambur

Photo by LarryGraziano
Published on Project Noah
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10.1984, -85.8258

Field Notes

Description:

This is the largest damsel fly I have ever seen. It measures from head to tail tip about 4 inches. the wings are about three inches long. on each pair of wings there is a bright yellow patch as noted in the photo. In flight he almost looked like a hovering helicopter because of the colored tips. This speciman never flew more than three feet above ground. His flight seemed to be labored and slow.

Habitat:

Tropical dry forest in NW Costa Rica. One week after rainy season finished.

Notes:

This is an amazing find! According to the field research this is a species that normally has a range from 700m to 1400m in elevation. This guy was photographed at 8m elevation near the beach.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (2)

Hi We saw a yellow tipped helicopter damselfly. In corcovado forest on the orsa peninsular. Thought that you may be interested as it was next to the beach at sea level. I read that they are usually seen at a higher elevation. In Mid February.2020.
O wow, que larga la cola. mira esta: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/5899322
Photographed
PublishedNovember 11, 2011

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