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Black Petaltail
Tanypteryx hageni
The Black Petaltail (Tanypteryx hageni) (like the Gray Petaltail of the southeastern U.S.) is a fascinating dragonfly. They are regarded as ancient dragonflies of the Petaluridae family with only about 10 remaining worldwide species and only 2 in the United States. The Black Petaltail occurs in the northwestern United States and British Columbia in bog and seep areas, often in isolated areas. The males shown in the top 13 images on this page were near Todd Lake, Deschutes Co., Oregon, in August, 2008. Adult males are unwary and may land on tree trunks, logs, or sometimes people. These shots were taken with a Canon EOS 1D Mark III and EF 300mm F/4 L IS lens and 2X extender.
The male shown here had captured a species of click beetle.