Hard to tell from that angle and lighting but I think it's a male White-faced Meadowhawk (Sympetrum obtrusum). At least it looks like one I photographed a while ago.
Ok, October fits, but northern Minnessota? That´s would be very far from home! Normal geographical range is in the most southern states of the USA. Some of these states seem to have a severe drought and this aridity may have caused such an unusual far north sighting but I think B. furcata is out.
That far north in October a Sympetrum sp. (vicinium? Does it have a small triangular kind of thorn at the bottom of the tail and yellowish legs? If it has such things and has a reddish abdomen, too, it is a female of that species. If the form of the hamule fits) is more likely.
You may try bugguide.net which has a very large collection of geographically annotated and correctly identified (see comments to the respective pictures) images. I used it to crosscheck my guesses but it is hard to search there without any first guess. You may take a look at http://bugguide.net/node/view/191#id for how hard it is to identify Anisoptera. I was probably a bit too bold to try my new fresh new and obscenely over-priced teeth at it :-)
As far as I remember http://www.dragonflies.org/ has a kind of checklist but that site seems to be off (got only time-outs for the last half hour).
It's a red-tailed dragonfly ! Lots of pictures and information when you put it into Google. I make Insect themed jewelry and have been looking at Dragonflies a lot in order to create them in Silver. Hope this is helpful.
Christoph Zurnieden wrote: "As far as I remember http://www.dragonflies.org/ has a kind of checklist but that site seems to be off (got only time-outs for the last half hour)."
The Wayback Machine has its last snapshot on 30 June. Prior to that it appeared at least once a month throughout this year.
Did I really say that it was S. obtrusum??? Christoph's suggestion of Sympetrum vicinum is certainly correct. Terrifying that anyone would call me an "authority" on these things!
Hard to tell from that angle and lighting but I think it's a male White-faced Meadowhawk (Sympetrum obtrusum). At least it looks like one I photographed a while ago.
Bugguide page
yes :)
Red tailed dragonfly? Do y'all get the large blue ones that look like helicopters in flight?
Probably not. I'd call it a dragonfly.
Hard to tell without context (where? when?) and a slightly out of focus picture but it could be an adult male Brachymesia furcata, indeed.
Looks more like a Damselfly.
The context is Northern Minnesota in October
I would say Sympetrum as well.
It's definitely a dragonfly. Damselflies hold their wings vertical when at rest, dragonflies spread them out. No idea of the exact species, though.
red darter
Ok, October fits, but northern Minnessota? That´s would be very far from home! Normal geographical range is in the most southern states of the USA. Some of these states seem to have a severe drought and this aridity may have caused such an unusual far north sighting but I think B. furcata is out.
That far north in October a Sympetrum sp. (vicinium? Does it have a small triangular kind of thorn at the bottom of the tail and yellowish legs? If it has such things and has a reddish abdomen, too, it is a female of that species. If the form of the hamule fits) is more likely.
You may try bugguide.net which has a very large collection of geographically annotated and correctly identified (see comments to the respective pictures) images. I used it to crosscheck my guesses but it is hard to search there without any first guess. You may take a look at http://bugguide.net/node/view/191#id for how hard it is to identify Anisoptera. I was probably a bit too bold to try my new fresh new and obscenely over-priced teeth at it :-)
As far as I remember http://www.dragonflies.org/ has a kind of checklist but that site seems to be off (got only time-outs for the last half hour).
Christoph, good questoins... Aaron Brees is saying it's Sympetrum obtrusum
It's a red-tailed dragonfly ! Lots of pictures and information when you put it into Google. I make Insect themed jewelry and have been looking at Dragonflies a lot in order to create them in Silver. Hope this is helpful.
Damselfly.
What, you wanted something more specific?
Christoph Zurnieden wrote: "As far as I remember http://www.dragonflies.org/ has a kind of checklist but that site seems to be off (got only time-outs for the last half hour)."
The Wayback Machine has its last snapshot on 30 June. Prior to that it appeared at least once a month throughout this year.
Aaron Brees is an authority here, so S. obtrusum it will be.
S. obtrusum has a distinct white "face", which means I asked many questions but not the right one, as it seems :-)
Oh, and dragonflies.org is off-line? Sad, it was a good source. But at least it has been archived.
that insect is Charlie. he owes me money.
Did I really say that it was S. obtrusum??? Christoph's suggestion of Sympetrum vicinum is certainly correct. Terrifying that anyone would call me an "authority" on these things!