Odd Couple

This photo, of a male Anax longipes in copula with a female Anax junius, was sent by Clark Shiffer, who took it at the famous 10 Acre Pond, Scotia, Centre County, Pennsylvania, on 1 June 2002. It's a great photo but a bit dark, so it didn't scan well but is worth publishing for the story. Clark wrote, "This female was first seen being pursued by 2 conspecific males at an estimated height of 45-50' above the pond. The male A. longipes rose quickly from his patrol of the pond to intercept her. The wheel position was assumed quickly and the pair descended to vegetation some distance away." Clark got his photo, and the pair then flew off and could not be relocated. Later, he caught, photographed, and released a female longipes that flew up and was immediately intercepted by a male (the same?) longipes, and that pair went into copula and landed in vegetation. Disturbed by Clark, they flew away. Quite a day for that Anax, whether he knew it or not