This week’s #SpeciesOfTheWeek is the Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis). Blue Dashers are one of the most commonly sighted dragonflies in North America, often found near slow-moving water such as a marsh or pond. Mature males are easy to recognize with their powder blue abdomen and turquoise eyes. Females, on the other hand, have a black abdomen with yellow stripes along the top and sides, and rusty red eyes – an excellent example of sexual dimorphism. Blue Dashers emerge asynchronously with their flight period lasting from June to early September. This means that their larvae do not all emerge at the same time of year, and, as a result, several generations of Blue Dasher can overlap in the same season. Blue Dashers have been sighted here at Murphys Point during odonate studies, often behind the Park Store on Loon Lake and at the Main Beach. Be sure to keep an eye out for these speedy skimmers as they will soon be emerging!