Wandering Glider / Pantale flavescente
Pantala flavescens
Fundy Nature Notes, Quotes and Anecdotes 2
Wandering Glider / Pantale flavescente
(Pantala flavescens)
Size: 44-51mm
Fundy First record: July 31st, 2013, Visitors Reception Centre yard (Denis Doucet, in hand- with image)
Status/Habitat: Uncommon to common migrant most years. Searches out and uses rainwater pools and fishless ponds in a variety of habitats.
Flight period in New Brunswick: June 28th-October 1st
ID Hints: You almost always see this dragonfly in flight; this baby never seems to land! Its medium to large size, propensity for gliding with its seemingly over-sized wings and its rich, golden-yellow colour make it quite distinctive (see flight shot above), but it can be mistaken for its close cousin the Spot-winged Glider. That species has more of a reddish tinge to it.
Nature Notes: The Wandering Glider, also known as the Globe Skimmer, is considered to be the most widespread dragonfly on the planet. This species is said to have the longest migration of any insect, across the Indian Ocean from India to Africa and then back again. See the TED talk by Charles Anderson:
https://www.ted.com/talks/charles_anderson_discovers_dragonflies_that_cross_oceans?language=en
Sources and Credits
- (c) Denis Doucet, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Denis Doucet
- (c) Denis Doucet, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
More Info
iNaturalist.ca Map
| Family | Libellulidae |
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