Ben here with today's edition of #BenInNature presented by our friends at Carter Bank & Trust!

Ben here with today's edition of #BenInNature presented by our friends at Carter Bank & Trust!

Ben here with today's edition of #BenInNature presented by our friends at Carter Bank & Trust!

This dragonfly isn't nearly as rare as the one we looked at earlier this week; in fact, it's common across most of North America. However, it's definitely one of the more unusual-looking dragonflies you're liable to come across!

This is a male Plathemis lydia, also known as the common whitetail. Only mature males of this species have white abdomens, and they display them to other males as a territorial threat. The white coloration of the abdomen is caused by wax particles, giving it a "frosted" appearance; this is known as "pruinescence," and you can also spot pruinescence on annual cicadas!

Common whitetails are most often seen near bodies of water, and they can frequently be spotted snagging mosquitoes and other small insects right out of the air. Dragonflies are among the apex predators of the insect world, and for the most part, they target insects that we consider pests. They're definitely beneficial to have around!

ABOUT #BenInNature
Social distancing can be difficult, but it presents a great opportunity to become reacquainted with nature. In this series of posts, Administrator of Science Ben Williams ventures outdoors to record a snapshot of the unique sights that can be found in the natural world. New updates are posted Monday - Friday, with previous posts highlighted on the weekends. This series of posts is made possible thanks to the support of VMNH Corporate Partner Carter Bank & Trust (www.cbtcares.com).

NATURE PHOTO IDENTIFICATIONS
If you discover something in nature that you would like help identifying, be sure to message us right here on Facebook with a picture (please include location and date of picture) and we'll have our experts help you identify it!

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