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Spot-winged glider (Pantala hymenaea)        Images © Mark A. Chappell

These are spot-winged gliders, which, like their close relative the wandering glider, fly nearly continuously and range widely.   Spot-wings are quite similar to wandering gliders, but true to their name, they have a small dark spot in the inner edge of the hindwing, visible in some of these photos.  Males have notably red eyes as can be seen well in the close-up below at right. .  The one in flight was patrolling a small pond and the others were resting in nearby shrubs at the San Jacinto Wildlife Area, near Riverside, or in the Imperial Valley (both in southern California).

  • Canon 1D MK. II, 7D, or 1D4; 500 mm IS lens plus 1.4X or 2X converter or 800 mm IS lens plus 1.4X converter or Tamron 180 mm macro lens, fill-in flash, (2006, 2007, 2010, 2012)