Sunday, July 17, 2011

The Descriptive Dot-tailed Whiteface

Have you ever wondered how a bird, plant, animal or insect got its name? When you look at things like red-bellied woodpeckers and ring-necked ducks do you think that the person who named them must have been on crack?
Well the dot-tailed whiteface dragonfly is not in that category. As you can see from the top picture this pond skimmer does have a dot near the end of its abdomen, which many people call a tail. The photo above demonstrates that it is indeed a member of the genus Leucorrhinia, or whiteface. A common dragonfly seen around here especially early in the summer, they are easy to identify because of their aptly descriptive name.


11 comments:

Leora said...

It certainly has intricate wings when you see it up close. And yes, I can see the dot.

Victoria said...

Superb macros... and the information is enlightening... I too have often wondered about how "they" came up with the names for some of our creatures!

lotusleaf said...

Wonderful macros! The white face is so prominent.

{krista} said...

Love it! Dragonflies are awesome!

Linda said...

Really great shots!!

Kim, USA said...

And I also noticed the two dot on top of the wings. Great shot!!

Macro Monday

Charmaine Poulin said...

Amazing shots!!!! And thank you for the info....unfortunately I have NO idea which species I shot today....

Autumn Belle said...

The white-faced and dot-tail is a simple but good name. In knowing the common names of plants and animals we get a glimpse of the culture of the people who spoke the particular language.

Teresa said...

Great capture! I love when the name actually makes sense.

Pialotta Sverige said...

Dragonflies are very beautiful on photos and in real life too .. I like yours a lot :)

Unknown said...

I have seen many dragons this year. :( Love yours!