The Invertebrate Fauna of Kerr County, Texas | home

Kerr County 26 November 2003

Posted to TexOdes 26 November 2003

After passage of the front, Kerr County got a pretty hard freeze. The temp

was at or below 32 degrees F for seven hours overnight Sunday-Monday,

reaching a low at my place of about 20 degrees F -- it was 23 degrees at

7:30 after an hour of sun -- the low recorded in Kerrville was 23. I left

town Monday at about one and stopped to check for Odes at my crossing and

found none. On Tuesday, after an overnight low of 34, i still found no Odes

at my crossing. Today (26 November 2003) however the midday temp reached 77

briefly, and hovered in the 73-74 range most of the afternoon. I found more

than a few odes, in contrast to the last few weeks, i found lower species

and higher individuals -- i caught and photographed seven species, and saw

an eighth. The American Rubyspot i caught was pretty beat up, but the

Blue-ringed and Kiowa Dancers and Arroyo Bluets, each present in some

numbers, all looked to be in pretty good shape. Still no Powdered Dancers

(Argia moesta) here since October 30, no Smoky Rubyspots (Hetaerina titia)

today; and no Springwater Dancers (Argia plana) or Leonora's-type Dancers

(Argia cf. leonorae) despite my working both of those spots thoroughly.

26 November 2003, Kerr County

South Fork Guadalupe River (Lynxhaven Crossing, South Fork Marsh, River Inn

Crossing)

North Fork Guadalupe River (Cherry Springs Ranch Crossing, Kerr Wildlife

Management Area)

Guadalupe River (Rio Vista Crossing)

(* = photographed)

* 5 American Rubyspot (hetaerina americana)

* 2 Neotropical Bluet (Enallagma novaehispaniae)

* 20 Arroyo Bluet (Enallagma praevarum)

* 1 Orange Bluet (Enallagma signatum)

* 6 Blue-ringed Dancer (Argia sedula)

* 22 Kiowa Dancer (Argia immunda)

* 2 Blue-fronted Dancer (Argia apicalis)

3 damselfly sp.

1 Gomphid sp.

Posted to TexOdes 26 November 2003

I too have noted this "amber" color occasionally on the wingtips of

Hetaerina americana, and today photographed one in the hand -- it's not much

but i think it's what Mitch Heindel was referring to. This individual was

missing the distal half of one wing also. Note also the slightly convex

aspect of the red basal spot. The pix are posted at:

http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/margaret/203/id83.htm

American Rubyspot, Hetaerina americana

Rio Vista Crossing, Cade Loop, Kerr County, Texas, 26 November 2003