Male and female Blue Dasher dragonflies have bodies approximately 1.25-1.5 inches long and are distinguished from other small blue dragonflies by the last two segments of its body and its appendages being black as well as some duskiness in the coloring of its wings.

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A male Blue Dasher with the slight dark coloring in the wings visible.
[The light glints off the segments of the wings giving them an irridescent appearance as this light blue dragonfly with a black tip perches at the top of a wide blade of green grass.]

A Blue Dasher has blue eyes, a white face, a dark "nose", and a striped thorax.
[The dragonfly is perched atop a bent stalk. It hass large blue eyes, black nose, and white rest of face is visible as it's viewed from the side front. The black and light colored stripes are visible on the wide part of its body while the skinnier portion in the back is light blue with a black tip.]

This juvenile still has some rust color in its eyes.
[A close-up view of the face of a dragonfly perched atop a stick. The top portion of its eyes has some dark red while the rest are shades of blue. The central

This male appears to be doing a gymnastic maneuver. It is actually adjusting its body with regards to the sun to regulate its body temperature.
[A blue dragonfly is perched on a horizontal twig. Its head is parallel to the twig while the rest of its body is up in the air as if it is doing a handstand.]

The backside of a Blue Dasher doing that same maneuver.
[A blue dragonfly is perched on a curved blade of wide grass. The back half of the body looks to be black and white striped as seen from this back view.]

This Blue Dasher appears to have a kink in its body because it is bent the opposite direction of the two prior photos.
[A blue dragonfly is perched on the end of a stick. The wings are forward exposing all the segments of the body and there is a noticeable kink in the middle of the body such that the back half is bent downward rather than being in a straight line from the head.]

A closer view of the light-colored striped thorax of Blue Dasher.
[A close side view of a dragonfly perched on the edge of a branch. His mouth is open which makes it seem like he is smiling at the camera. He has light blue eyes, a white face, and a striped body which seems grey and white.]

This youngster is distinct in that he has an extra black segment.
[A close side view of a dragonfly perched on the tip of a branch. His eyes still have a touch of brown at the top. Normally segments 8 thru 10 are black, but this dragonfly has segments 7 thru 10 black.]

A female Blue Dasher has a striped black and yellow body.
[A close side view of a dragonfly perched on the tip of a branch. Her eyes are blue on the outer edges, but a brownish tint at the center top. Her thorax and body are yellow with black stripes. The body has stripes running the length of the body while the thorax stripes run top to bottom.]

A different Blue Dasher female.
[A top-down view of a dragonfly perched on the tip of a weedhead. Parts of the wings are dark, but are mostly clear. The body appears to be black with short yellow strips going down the back in pairs.]

This Blue Dasher impressed me that he could even fly with so much of his wings missing.
[A side view of a dragonfly perched on a leaf. The outer half of one front wing is missing as are huge chunks of the opposite back wing.]

Continue to page 3 of 10 to see male and female Eastern Amberwing dragonflies.

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All photos © S. M. Garver