This page displays photos of Orthemis from the New World Tropics. Orthemis is a difficult genus of Libellulidae in which several species have long been confused with the first-named species O. ferruginea. Recent study has shown that what was thought to be a very widespread species is actually at least 5 species, as follows.
- O. discolor Burmeister, 1839 (Texas to Argentina)
- O. ferruginea Fabricius, 1775 (southern USA to Costa Rica)
- O. schmidti Buchholz, 1950 (Guatemala to Peru and Brazil)
- O. sulphurata Hagen, 1868 (western Ecuador)
- O. sp. (West Indies, sparingly on mainland adjacent to Caribbean; possibly more than one species)
O. aequilibris Calvert, 1909 (Costa Rica through Brazil to Paraguay) and O. nodiplaga Karsch, 1891 (southern Brazil and surrounding countries) appear to be part of this group, although they have long been recognized as distinct. The situation is made more confusing because O. aequilibris is thought to occur in two morphs, a red one and a pruinose blue one. Much remains to be done with this group.
The life coloration of these species has not been well documented, and questions still remain about identification and species limits, so this site has been set up to publish photos from life, including many freshly collected specimens in the hand. I also include photos of other Orthemis species that have been recognized as distinct for some time, as some of them seem to be in this same group of large, robust species. I encourage all with such photos to send the photos or scans thereof to me for publication here.
Apologies for the washed-out nature of some of the images. When the slides were a bit too dark to register well on the scanner, I had to brighten them greatly in Photoshop, thus the washed-out effect, not the fault of the photographer.
Click a photo to enlarge.
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male O. aequilibris, VENEZUELA, Guarico, 7 km W Guayabal, 28 Dec 2000 |
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male O. aequilibris, VENEZUELA, Guarico, 7 km W Guayabal, 28 Dec 2000 |
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male O. aequilibris, VENEZUELA, Amazonas, E of Puerto Ayacucho, 2 Jan 2001 |
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male O. aequilibris, VENEZUELA, Amazonas, E of Puerto Ayacucho, 2 Jan 2001 |
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male O. aequilibris, VENEZUELA, Amazonas, 41 km S Puerto Ayacucho, 6 Jan 2001 |
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female O. aequilibris, VENEZUELA, Barinas, S of Bruzual, 27 Dec 2000 |
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male O. aequilibris blue morph, BRAZIL, Bahia, Lauro de Freitas, Enconto das Aguas, 1 Aug 2004, photo Ruy Penalva |
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male O. aequilibris blue morph, BRAZIL, Bahia, Lauro de Freitas, Enconto das Aguas, 1 Aug 2004, photo Ruy Penalva |
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male O. ambirufa, FRENCH GUYANA, Montagne de Kaw, 19 Dec 2003; photo Laurent Juillerat |
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female O. ambirufa, FRENCH GUYANA, Montagne de Kaw, 19 Dec 2003; photo Laurent Juillerat |
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male O. discolor, MEXICO, Veracruz, N of Catemaco, 19 Sep 1999, photo Netta Smith |
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male O. discolor, MEXICO, Veracruz, N of Catemaco, 19 Sep 1999, photo Netta Smith |
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male O. discolor, MEXICO, Nayarit, Singaita, 13 Sep 2001, photo Netta Smith |
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male O. discolor, VENEZUELA, Amazonas, E of Puerto Ayacucho, 2 Jan 2001 |
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female O. discolor, VENEZUELA, Falcon, 12 km W Tucacas, 21 Dec 2000 |
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female O. discolor, MEXICO, Baja California Sur, 23 km from hwy 1 on road to San Antonio de la Sierra , 9 Jan 2004 |
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female O. discolor, VENEZUELA, Amazonas, N side of Rio Ventuari, 5 Jan 2001 |
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male O. discolor, TRINIDAD, Asa Wright Nature Centre, 1 Mar 1984 |
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male O. discolor, ARGENTINA, Catamarca, Andalgala, 5 Mar 1974, photo Lynn Erckmann |
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male O. discolor and O. schmidti, ECUADOR, Napo, photo Nick Donnelly |
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male O. discolor and O. ferruginea, MEXICO, Veracruz, UNAM Tuxtlas Station, 19 Sep 1999 |
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male O. discolor and O. ferruginea, MEXICO, Sinaloa, river 3.4 km E Concordia, 10 Sep 2001 |
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male O. "Antillean" and O. ferruginea, FLORIDA, Dade Co., South Miami, 22 Oct 2001, photo Nick Donnelly |
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male O. "Antillean" and O. ferruginea, FLORIDA, Dade Co., South Miami, 22 Oct 2001, photo Nick Donnelly |
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male O. ferruginea, TEXAS, Menard Co., E of Fort McKavett, 14 Jul 2001 |
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male O. ferruginea, MEXICO, Veracruz, E of Totutla, 27 Sep 1999, photo Netta Smith |
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imm male O. ferruginea, MEXICO, Nayarit, Singaita, 14 Sep 2001; becoming pruinose |
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imm male O. ferruginea, MEXICO, Nayarit, near Santa Maria del Oro, 19 Sep 2001 |
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imm female O. ferruginea, MEXICO, Nayarit, San Pedro Lagunillas, 17 Sep 2001 |
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male O. nodiplaga, ARGENTINA, Catamarca, Andalgala, 5 Mar 1974, photo Lynn Erckmann |
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male O. nodiplaga, ARGENTINA, Catamarca, Andalgala, 5 Mar 1974, photo Lynn Erckmann |
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male O. schmidti, BELIZE, Corozal, Shipstern Nature Reserve, 1 Aug 2002, photo Laurent Juillerat |
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female O. schmidti, BELIZE, Corozal, Shipstern Nature Reserve, 1 Aug 2002, photo Laurent Juillerat |
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male O. schmidti, VENEZUELA, Amazonas, Campamento Junglaven, 3 Jan 2001 |
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male O. schmidti, VENEZUELA, Amazonas, N side of Rio Ventuari, 5 Jan 2001 |
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male O. schmidti, VENEZUELA, Amazonas, N side of Rio Ventuari, 5 Jan 2001 |
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male of presumed O. sulphurata, ECUADOR, Guayas, Fundacion Andrate, 13 Nov 2001, photo Noel Snyder |
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female of presumed O. sulphurata, ECUADOR, Guayas, Fundacion Andrate, 13 Nov 2001, photo Noel Snyder |
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mature and immature male O. "Antillean", FLORIDA, Monroe Co., Stock Island, 7 Jan 2000 |
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male O. "Antillean", FLORIDA, Monroe Co., Stock Island, 7 Jan 2000, photo Netta Smith |
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male O. "Antillean", FLORIDA, Monroe Co., Big Pine Key, 22 Aug 1960 (posed) |
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males O. "Antillean", VENEZUELA, Falcon, 2 km inland from Boca del Tocuyo, 20 Dec 2000 |
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female O. "Antillean", DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, Montecristi Prov., 22 Apr 2001, photo Eladio Fernandez |