Hot summer days are perfect for "dragons and damsels." And it's been a perfect summer here in Northeast Tennessee for these amazing 'flies, Here are a few glimpses from recent weeks:
You can tell damselflies from dragonflies because the damsels usually rest with their wings folded, and dragons usually rest with wings outstretched. Let's start with one of the easiest to identify (for me) of all our many damselfly species. American Rubyspots are big and bright-colored, and tend to perch out in the open. Here's a typical female.
Here are some examples of a much more confusing group of damselflies - the bluets. First is a mating pair of Stream Bluets, second is pair of Familiar Bluets...
Here are some Variable Dancers in the midst of laying eggs, with a Fragile Forktail laying eggs in the background. For some species, the male & female work together to lay eggs, in other species, the female works alone.
One more damselfly - a representative of the "oddball" group - the spreadwings. When they perch, their wings are between the usual damsel and dragon positions. These are Slender Spreadwings - the male is the blue-eyed one.
Now for a few dragonflies... Lancet Clubtails tend to perch on the ground, waiting for a passing small butterfly for lunch.
Carolina Saddlebags almost never perch, but this rather old and faded female must have been in need of a bit of rest...
Here's another old & tattered female - a Widow Skimmer.
Look how well female Pondhawks blend in with their green wet meadows!
On the other hand, Painted Skimmers' colors really make them stand out. This was a new record for our county...
Notice how stout and strong this dragonfly looks. Dragon Hunters are one of our biggest and most powerful dragons - and often feed on other dragonflies!
Will end with a quick view of a freshly-emerging dragonfly. Dragons and Damsels both begin life in the water, and change to their aerial form without any resting stage in between. This is a Common Whitetail pulling itself loose of its nymph case.
Hope you enjoyed this quick tour of "dragon/damsel" world! Thanks for any comments and critique!
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