Sieboldius nigricolor - the female*

*This posting was adjusted on April 1, 2016, after the identity of the species was finally established.

October 4, Pia Oac. We are standing in the gold digger stream and checking the Macromia moorei flitting up and down in surprisingly good numbers. Suddenly a large dragonfly comes near and I am able to catch it. It is a very robust insect, immediately recognizable as a Sieboldius by its small head and very long legs. It is excreting eggs, so I tip its abdomen in the water until all the eggs have been dropped. After that I put it in an envelop. Quite surprising really. Since the males caught early July I had not seen it anymore, but clearly it is still flying. Shortly after, a male shows up and perches on a rock in the stream. While I carefully make my way to it, a Grey Wagtail flies in and flushes it, but luckily it soon returns. Again I am lucky enough to catch it. It is indeed the same species as earlier in the year: Sieboldius nigricolor.

The female of Sieboldius nigricolor

The male of Sieboldius nigricolor

Male and female united again under the scanner in dorsal view