That’s me, right, with a Gray Petaltail, the most primitive dragonfly in eastern North America. Based on molecular clocks, geneticists believe it has been on Earth, essentially unchanged, for 100 million years! It just buzzed over and landed on my shoulder, and my longtime friend, Gail Brodfuehrer, quickly made this photo.
I had invited her to attend the Dragonfly Society of the Americas (DSA) annual conference in Staunton, Virginia, with me in 2017, and we had a great adventure, including a hike in Powhatan State Park along the James River, where we encountered this Petaltail.
Gail took a holiday from her work at the Justice Department in Washington, DC and we drove down to the DSA conference where I presented a paper about Navajo Dragonflies. I have known Gail since we went to high school together in Manila, Philippines. We indulge our curiosities.
Thanks to Steve Roble, Staff Zoologist, Virginia Dept. of Conservation and Recreation, for id’ing this ancient dragonfly, one of his favorites.
Powhatan State Park, Virginia, 2017.
Photo by Gail Brodfuehrer.