Dragonflies are beginning to emerge from their watery habitats within the Wetlands. On Saturday (4/9) I saw both male and female Common Whitetails (Plathemis lydia).

I also saw a large gray-brown dragonfly on the Dinosaur Trail on Tuesday (4/12) but was not able to put a name on it. If I were to bet on its identity, I’d bet Gray Petaltail (Tachopteryx thoreyi). A Gray Petaltail would be a first for the Museum, but I didn’t see it well enough to nail it down. I’ll check to see if I can find it again today (4/13) as they often have favorite perches which they return to with some regularity. Curiously, it didn’t perch while I watched it for several minutes yesterday.