After a hike on the nature trails, Elizabeth sat by the lake to write; I went off to confirm that we have dragonflies in Florida in January. I didn't expect to find any, but once near the edge of the canal that connects Lake Mary Jane to Lake Hart, I caught the familiar sparkle of wings.
Not only did I find dragonflies, I found a new species for me, blue corporals, or Libellula deplanata. At first I thought they were little blue dragonlets, but after reading Dunkle's description of behavior [perching close to the ground] and female coloring [I saw reddish-brown versions], I think that I have photographed blue corporals instead. Dunkle says that blue corporals make their first appearance in Florida in January, so these guys are right on schedule:
It's nice to start the new year with a new species!
