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Paddle-tailed darner (Aeshna palmata)        Images © Mark A. Chappell

The paddle-tailed darner is one of a confusing group of very similar dragonflies that are often lumped under the term 'mosaic darners.'   Paddle-tailed darners resemble the more common blue-eyed darner but have less intensely blue eyes and some other subtle differences, including the paddle-like tail appendages that give them their common name (not clearly visible in most of these images).   I photographed this one at River Springs in Mono County, California (many thanks to Ron and Barbara Oriti for showing us this place, and other good Eastern Sierra dragonfly locations).

  • Canon 1D4, Canon 800 mm IS lens plus 1.4X converter and extension tube (2013)