Here be Dragons... and a Damsel

That almost sounds like a plot for a fairy tale, doesn't it? But I'm not talking about the fire-breathing, treasure-hoarding, cave-dwelling creatures of myth and our damsel for the day is in no distress at all and to further set the story on its head, our damsel is a male!

So, they may not be true dragons, but they are seriously dragon-ish as far as the mosquitoes and other biting flies are concerned. Mosquitoes always seem to get a head start on the season, but I remember cheering the dragonflies on when they arrived on the scene in late spring, swooping and executing aerial ambushes and eating the pesky little blighters by the dozens, all without touching down. They're still a very welcome sight to me, not just for their voracious appetites, but because they come in so many kinds, colors, shapes and sizes and their delicate wings are so intricate and beautiful. 

I had to do quite a lot of hunting and research to learn who these guys are. Never having learned more than the basic differences between dragonflies and damselflies, I hadn't learned the names of the different specimens - mostly because I didn't have an insect identification book and also because they move so amazingly fast - up to 18 miles per hour, from what I've read. 

So, since I read up on these fascinating creatures and was impressed at their prowess, I'm inflicting a few fun facts on you. This fellow is a chalk-fronted corporal dragonfly, aptly named for the chalky smudges on his otherwise slate black abdomen and thorax. He's got almost 360 degrees of vision and can see so much more of the light spectrum than humans that I can't even imagine what the world must look like to him. So, yes, eyes in the back of his head (and sides and front). 

This one's the chalk-fronted corporal female. She's more of a tawny gold with black markings. She, along with her other dragonfly kin, can move each of her four wings independently, allowing her to fly in any direction and hover in place. No wonder they're such incredible hunters, with  a 95% success rate. 

Finally, here is our damsel for the day. He's a familiar bluet damselfly and if you haven't ever paid attention to the differences between the dragons and the damsels, you can see here that this fellow folds his wings together over his back when at rest, rather than out flat like his cousins. He also has a much thinner abdomen and his wings are narrower at the base than at the tips, which is opposite of how dragonfly wings are constructed. The familiar bluet female has very similar markings, but her predominant color is brown rather than blue. I didn't see one of those on my ramble, so I can't produce a picture to illustrate. 

Here ends our tale of dragons and damsels for the day. I hope you enjoyed the adventure.