Update June 01, 2009: added pics of seven more from May of 2009, including one from a new location within Santa Ana NWR - at the bottom of the page:
Update September 23, 2008: added a third male (flash and non-flash versions) just after the second male, below:
These Blue-striped Spreadwings Lestes tenuatus were found by Dennis Paulson and Martin Reid on the Chachalaca Trail, Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo county, Texas on September 17 and 18, 2008. NOTE: subsequent to my publication of these images, Josh Rose discovered that he had unknowingly taken a photo of this taxon sometime between June and August 2000 at Santa Ana NWR. :
This is the first individual we found - a very mature male clasping an immature male Chalky Spreadwing L. sigma!:
This second male is presumeably a bit younger as the thoracic pattern is not quite so-developed as the one above:
This third male is from the same location on September 21, 2008 - note how different it looks in the non-flash photo (2nd pic):
A female:
a second female:
a third female:
Update June 01, 2009: This species was found to be flying again on May 20, 2009 at the same location on Willow Pond at Santa Ana NWR, and was seen regularly until at least May 29, during which time these five males and a female were photographed:
- and on May 25, 2009 a male was found close to the entrance pond at Santa Ana; a new location for this taxon at its only known site in Texas:
