Bar-sided Darner
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Gynacantha mexicana
Selys, 1868
Order Odonata
Suborder Anisoptera
Superfamily Aeshnoidea
Family Aeshnidae
Genus Gynacantha
Species mexicana Selys, 1868 [Gynacantha]
Identification
This is a largely brown dragonfly marked with pale green. The eyes are brown or green. There is a wide dark brown stripe on the lower rear of the thorax. The wings sometimes have a brown stripe along the front edge. The abdomen is narrowly constricted at abdominal segment 3. There are pale blue markings on abdominal segments 1-3. The cerci of in female's is longer than the length of segments 9-10. Male cerci are more than
twice the length of the epiproct.
Size
Total length: 70-76 mm; abdomen: 55-58 mm; hindwing: 46-50 mm.
Similar Species
Other brown darners include Fawn Darner (Boyeria vinosa
) which has two pale yellow spots on each side of the thorax. Twilight Darner (G. nervosa
) is similar but without blue on abdominal segments 1-3, dark brown thoracic stripe and only a slight constriction of abdominal segment 3. The epiproct is also longer in the male Twilight Darner and the cerci are longer in females.
Habitat
Ephemeral ponds and pools.
Discussion
This species was only recently discovered in far south Texas and it is still poorly known there, though the evidence seems to support breeding populations there. Its behavior is presumably similar to the more well-studied Twilight Darner.
Distribution
Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas south through Mexico.
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