Leonora's Dancer (Argia leonorae)

Greg Lasley Nature Photography
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The Leonora's Dancer (Argia leonorae) is a little-known damselfly of Texas and northern Mexico. It has been found across a wide area of Texas but it is quite local and not found regularly. In June, 2003, Chuck Sexton (wildlife biologist at Balcones Canyonlands NWR north of Austin) and I were making a survey of Odonates on different tracts of the refuge in parts of three counties, Travis, Burnet and Williamson. At one of the Burnet County sites we were investigating a seepage area where overflow from a small spring-fed pond created a wet meadow. While examining various dragonflies and damselflies here we found an unfamiliar damselfly that later proved to be Leonora's Dancer. These damsels were examined in detail and photographed extensively. This location adds Burnet County to the known range of this species and adds Balcones Canyonlands as the only national wildlife refuge to host this species of special concern. The photo here was a digital capture with a Canon EOS 10D and EF 180 mm Macro lens with a 1.4X extender and a ring flash. Below the photo of the male is a photo of a female taken at the same time and location; there are apparently no other photos of a female Leonora's Dancer currently on the web. For more information on this interesting species see the account on the species on John Abbott's Odonata Central here.

Additional Information: On 1 July 2003, Dr. John Abbott from the Section of Integrative Biology at the University of Texas at Austin, joined Chuck and I at this site to examine the location in detail and observe the Leonora's Dancers. In addition to finding a number of Argia leonorae here we also located a number of others at two nearby sites on the refuge in adjacent Williamson County.

During field work in 2003 and 2004 it has been learned that this species is more widespread than previously thought. As of June, 2005, a number of new coumties have been added to the known range of this species including Bandera, Jim Hogg, Kerr, Uvalde, Crockett, and others. Below are shots of males taken in some of these locations. Note the darker overall coloration of some of these individuals.

The shot immediately above was taken in Kerr Co., Texas, at a small marsh along the Guadalupe River in October, 2004, with a Canon EOS 1D Mark II and EF 180 mm F/3.5 Macro and 1.4X extender and 550 flash.

This shot was taken along a sedge-lined creek in Bandera Co., Texas in May, 2005, with the same equipment as above. The next shot below, of another male, was taken at this same location.