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Comet Darner
Anax longipes |
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| The Comet Darner (Anax longipes) is a large, colorful dragonfly of parts of the eastern United States. It ranges west to Texas. The shot shown shown on the right was a digital capture taken in June, 2003, in Austin, Travis Co., Texas and was taken with a Canon EOS 10D and EF 70-200 mm F2.8 L IS lens with a 2X extender and 550 EX flash. This dragon, a female, represents the first documented (photo or specimen) record for Travis County. Since I (and others) have seen this species in the vicinity before and after this photo was taken, it is likely the species had simply been overlooked in this area. For example, on 25 June 2003, while participating in a float trip on the Colorado River from Austin to Hornsby Bend, all in Travis Co., Texas, I observed between 10 and 12 Comet Darners foraging over the river. The next shot, of a male, was taken at the same location with the same camera equipment in September, 2003. |  |
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| The next two shots were also taken in Austin, Travis Co., Texas, but with a Canon EOS 1D Mark II and an EF 300mm F/4L IS lens and 2X extender and 580EX flash in April, 2005. |  |
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| The two shots at right show a Comet Darner feasting on a Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata) in October, 2005, at the same location as the above shots. These two shots were taken with the same equipment as the April, 2005 images. |  |
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| The male Comet Darners in the next six images were in Austin, Travis Co., Texas, in October, 2010. All of these shots were taken with a Canon EOS 1D Mark IV and a Sigma 50-500mm lens and Canon 580 flash. |  |
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| The male Comet Darner in the next two shots was in Austin, Texas, in May, 2011. These two images were taken with a Canon EOS 1D Mark IV and a Sigma 50-500mm lens and Canon 580 flash. |  |
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| Comet Darner Anax longipes male - in flight Southeast Metro Park, Travis Co., Texas 13 September 2012 |
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| Comet Darner Anax longipes male Hornsby Bend, Austin, Travis Co., Texas 13 September 2013 |
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| Comet Darner Anax longipes male Hornsby Bend, Austin, Travis Co., Texas 11 May 2014 |
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| Comet Darner Anax longipes male Hornsby Bend, Austin, Travis Co., Texas 11 May 2014 |
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| Comet Darner Anax longipes male - feeding on Monarch Butterfly Hornsby Bend, Austin, Travis Co., Texas 14 October 2014 |
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| Comet Darner Anax longipes male - feeding on Monarch Butterfly Hornsby Bend, Austin, Travis Co., Texas 14 October 2014 |
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| Comet Darner Anax longipes male Hornsby Bend, Austin, Travis Co., Texas 15 April 2015 |
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| Comet Darner Anax longipes male Hornsby Bend, Austin, Travis Co., Texas 20 April 2015 |
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| Comet Darner Anax longipes male Hornsby Bend, Austin, Travis Co., Texas 20 April 2015 |
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| Comet Darner Anax longipes male Hornsby Bend, Austin, Travis Co., Texas 20 April 2015 |
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| Comet Darner Anax longipes female Southeast Metro Park, Travis Co., Texas 13 May 2016 |
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| Comet Darner Anax longipes female Southeast Metro Park, Travis Co., Texas 13 May 2016 |
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| Comet Darner Anax longipes male with a Common Green Darner Anax junius male that it has captured and is eating Hornsby Bend, Austin, Travis Co., Texas 21 October 2016 |
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| Comet Darner Anax longipes Hornsby Bend, Austin, Travis Co., Texas 26 April 2017 |
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| Comet Darner Anax longipes male Hornsby Bend, Austin, Travis Co., Texas 7 September 2017 |
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| Comet Darner Anax longipes male Hornsby Bend, Austin, Travis Co., Texas 7 September 2017 |
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| Comet Darner Anax longipes male Hornsby Bend, Austin, Travis Co., Texas 11 April 2018 |
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