Brachymesia is a genus of dragonflies
in the family Libellulidae. They are commonly known as Tropical Pennants.
The genus contains three species. One species, B. gravida is confined to
the USA. The others occur over much of South America and southern USA states:
Brachymesia furcata (Hagen, 1861) - Red-tailed Pennant
Brachymesia gravida (Calvert, 1890) - Four-spotted Pennant
Brachymesia herbida (Gundlach, 1889) - Tawny Pennant
Brachymesia furcata (Hagen, 1861),
Red-tailed Pennant, is a medium sized tropical pennant, and is found in
South America and southern USA states, including Argentina, Aruba, Bolivia,
Brazil, Bahamas, Belize, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Hispaniola,
Honduras, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Lesser Antilles, Mexico, Panama, Peru,
Puerto Rico, Paraguay, Suriname, El Salvador, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela,
Virgin Isl. and Puerto Rico. In USA, it is major found in Texas, southern
Florida and other areas of the southern and southwestern U.S.
It is active daytime fliers often
seen around ponds and slow waters. Adult males are recognized by their
overall bright red color and clear wings. On closer inspection, the thorax
is dull red or brownish, and the bottom of the eyes is greenish. Females
are similar, but the color is not as bright. The male has a red abdomen
and the female usually has a yellowish one.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachymesia
http://www.birdandhike.com/Wildlife/Invert/Ph_Arthropoda/SubP_Hexapoda/Cl_Insecta/Odonata/Epiprocta/Libellulidae/Brachy_fur/_Bra_fur.htm
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