I had high hopes that the two dragons immediately above were what I thought they were (Mantled and Slender). However, when I sent the pictures to Odonata Central for confirmation, they could not confirm them. That is, they could not definitively rule out Common in either case. I am including their response for educational purposes:
"Dear Bill,
I am one of the folks who vets records submitted for Arkansas. I write
just to let you know that, quite honestly, I'm unsure what to do with
two records of small baskettails you submitted recently. This group is
notoriously difficult to identify in the field, particularly in the
middle of the continent, where many Common Baskettails lack wing
markings, where some Common Baskettails have nearly as much black on
the wing as on a Mantled Baskettail (and some Mantled have nearly as
little as a typical Common), and some Dot-winged (not really a concern
in Arkansas, but a possibility) also lack wing markings. Other features
used to identify individuals concern details of the appendages and shape
(and proportions) of the abdomen when viewed directly above, but even
these characters, in my experience with dozens in hand and dozens of
specimens in our collection, can overlap or nearly so.
This is all to say that I cannot with certainty eliminate a clear-winged
Common Baskettail for record 441111. The appendages appear to be on the
short side, and they rather flare outward, a feature argued to be more
typical of a Common. The "wasp-waisted" appearance can fit either a
Slender or a Common, with the former generally narrower toward the
distal segments than what this appears to be. This individual could well
be a Slender; I simply can't be sure.
The tandem pair in record 441112 strikes me more probably as being
Common Baskettails because the black at the base of the hind wing does
not radiate outward past (from what I can tell) the hindwing triangle
nor to the "comma" on the costal vein past the midway point between the
the wing base and the nodus. Having said this, the critters do appear to
have broad abdomens, so it may be that they were indeed Mantled
Baskettails. I simply can't be sure on the basis of this photo.
Cheers,
Michael"
--
Michael A. Patten
University of Oklahoma
-Professor, Oklahoma Biological Survey
-Adjunct Professor, Department of Biology
-Affiliate Faculty, Environmental Studies
"Dear Bill,
I am one of the folks who vets records submitted for Arkansas. I write
just to let you know that, quite honestly, I'm unsure what to do with
two records of small baskettails you submitted recently. This group is
notoriously difficult to identify in the field, particularly in the
middle of the continent, where many Common Baskettails lack wing
markings, where some Common Baskettails have nearly as much black on
the wing as on a Mantled Baskettail (and some Mantled have nearly as
little as a typical Common), and some Dot-winged (not really a concern
in Arkansas, but a possibility) also lack wing markings. Other features
used to identify individuals concern details of the appendages and shape
(and proportions) of the abdomen when viewed directly above, but even
these characters, in my experience with dozens in hand and dozens of
specimens in our collection, can overlap or nearly so.
This is all to say that I cannot with certainty eliminate a clear-winged
Common Baskettail for record 441111. The appendages appear to be on the
short side, and they rather flare outward, a feature argued to be more
typical of a Common. The "wasp-waisted" appearance can fit either a
Slender or a Common, with the former generally narrower toward the
distal segments than what this appears to be. This individual could well
be a Slender; I simply can't be sure.
The tandem pair in record 441112 strikes me more probably as being
Common Baskettails because the black at the base of the hind wing does
not radiate outward past (from what I can tell) the hindwing triangle
nor to the "comma" on the costal vein past the midway point between the
the wing base and the nodus. Having said this, the critters do appear to
have broad abdomens, so it may be that they were indeed Mantled
Baskettails. I simply can't be sure on the basis of this photo.
Cheers,
Michael"
--
Michael A. Patten
University of Oklahoma
-Professor, Oklahoma Biological Survey
-Adjunct Professor, Department of Biology
-Affiliate Faculty, Environmental Studies
To tell the difference between Baskettail, Beaverpond, and Common, check out: http://bugguide.net/node/view/56233
Of course, a close-up of the tail appendages is required.
Of course, a close-up of the tail appendages is required.