The Rapids Clubtail Dragonfly is an endangered species that lives in Mississippi Mills. Related Resource: Gomphurus lineatifrons (Splendid Clubtail)Dear Millstone Editor, Today I am sending you this letter in regards to the Rapids Clubtail Dragonfly. For example, according to records for Northern Virginia maintained by Kevin Munroe, former manager of Huntley Meadows Park, the adult flight period for Splendid Clubtail is May 28 to June 15. The adult flight period for a single site is probably shorter. Roble’s records are for the entire state, therefore the adult flight period for Gomphurus lineatifrons seems to be longer than it is in reality. Its habitat is “rivers.”īear in mind, Dr. Steve Roble, Staff Zoologist at the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, the adult flight period for Gomphurus lineatifrons is from May 01 to June 27. Although Kevin didn’t submit official records for his finds, he beat me to the discovery by nearly a decade!Īccording to records for the Commonwealth of Virginia maintained by Dr.
So what’s the take-away? It’s good to be wrong, in fact, it’s Splendid! (See what I did there?) Especially when Splendid Clubtail is a new species for my life list as well as a new species for Fairfax County, Virginia USA.Īnd while I’m giving credit where credit is due, it should be noted that Kevin Munroe, former manager of Huntley Meadows Park, deserves credit as the first person to discover Splendid Clubtail in Fairfax County, Virginia USA. knew immediately the “Cobra” is actually Splendid. One look at my photo showing a side view of the individual and Mike B. Mike Boatwright contacted me and asked to see more photos of the Splendid. Rick Cheicante and Mike Boatwright, two vetters for the Odonata Central records database, thought the dragonfly might be Splendid rather than Cobra. Mike included a photograph showing a dorsal view of the dragonfly that looks similar to my dorsal view. When my friend Mike Powell submitted an official record for the Splendid Clubtail, he followed my lead and called it Cobra Clubtail. The answer seems obvious in retrospect: the larger one is Splendid the smaller one is Cobra. I walked around the rest of the day wondering why the two “Cobra” that I’d seen were so different in size. There is, of course, some natural variation in size among individuals of the same species. That being said, a difference of ~2.0 cm in length was easy to see. In my experience it’s often difficult to judge the relative size of dragonflies in the field. Cobra is 4.7-5.7 cm in total length Splendid is 6.7-6.9 cm. The Cobra appeared to be noticeably smaller than the Splendid, and in fact it is. My last blog post features an actual female Cobra Clubtail dragonfly that I spotted soon after seeing the Splendid Clubtail shown above. This individual is a female, as indicated by her terminal appendages and rounded hind wings. | Fairfax County, VA | Splendid Clubtail (female) Dew Point vs Relative Humidity (NWS/NOAA)Ĭopyright © 2020 Walter Sanford.Sometimes close is good enough, as surfaces that are good radiators of thermal energy can cool a thin layer of air to the dew point. Typical dew points in the mid-Atlantic states are in the 60s and 70s during the summer months, 40s and 50s during spring and fall, and 20s and 30s during winter.Ĭheck your local weather forecast to see whether the predicted overnight low air temperature will reach the dew point temperature. The dew point temperature varies depending upon the amount of moisture in the air. (The temperature when this phase change occurs is also known as the “frost point temperature.”) Unfortunately, this female was quite skittish so her glamor shoot was one-and-done.ĭew forms when the atmosphere is cooled until its temperature reaches the “dew point temperature” and water vapor in the atmosphere (an invisible gas) condenses to become liquid water. | Fairfax County, VA | Cobra Clubtail ( female)
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