Dragonflies

[brandonsdad02]

I had some damsle fly larva in our pond earlier this year. I couldn't figure out what that weird looking thing was until I "to the GOOGLE" and figured it out. Its neat how that they have gills on their tail. They are really fast and neat to water. At first I thought it was some sort of shrimp.

 

[Shoestring Ponder]

Well, here you go, DH came through. I hope you enjoy. I believe these are Regal Darners and Blue Dashers. After they emerge, they spend time on the carcass "plumping up" their wings. This is a very dangerous time for them for occasionally winds take them and drop them in the pond. I rescued some w crumpled wings. Some recovered, others did not. ;( It was truly an interesting experience for us. I have to apologize, my DH spelled female incurrectly. I have to figure out how to correct the spelling below the pics.

:goldfish:

 

[addy1]

nice pictures!

 

[j.w]

Those are great pix SP and cool seeing the way they come out of their carcass and dry off into a pretty dragonfly! Tell your hubby thanks for sharing!

 

[ellisr63]

I think I have seen the carcasses of the Dragonfly in the pond... I thought it was just a water bug that had died.

 

[Julia]

Ive seen these beetle like larvae many times before and never associated them with dragonflies!

 

[Shoestring Ponder]

Isn't it amazing? We seriously did not know what they were, but they were all over the pool liner. Thankfully, one night, DH took his camera and "caught them in the act" of emerging. Kind of gross though but such a beautiful outcome. Here is a pic of one that I believe ended up in the pond and I rescued it. you can see how wrinkled its' wings are. I would retrieve them but some were so weak, they did not hang on fully to the dowel in the plant. Some were actually blown off. I believe one that did make it was in a previous pic I posted. Some will mate and lay their eggs while still attached to each other like the one posted first. Others dip their abdomen after mating from what I can discern.

:goldfish:

 

[addy1]

They are great predators above and below water. We have a lot fewer bugs since putting in the pond.

 

[buckry]

That's the exact same dragonfly that I saw today.

 

[Shoestring Ponder]

buckry...DH identified it as a Regal Darner. Does this help:

http://mwbeck.smugmug.com/Insects/R..._LafBv/1/511928624_zELmQ#!i=511920425&k=TbGgd

:goldfish:

 

[buckry]

I don't know, actually after looking at those my dragonfly looks different. No idea if that's what I have or not.

 

[j.w]

Boy they sure do look all crinkled up when they first come out and are drying............like a bad hair day and then they straighten up and look so perfect!

 

[gluepack]

I should have started Googling earlier or even read the forum posts, lol.

For some time now, each time that I have pulled my filter/aerator out to clean it, I have come across dragonflies in their initial phase without realising it. I am not a fan of things that creep and crawl so have been put off by these albino-like, primitive looking, alien things crawling around.

Then, about a month ago I started to notice all these (similar looking) creatures all over my reeds and marginals and, again, not being a fan of things that creep and crawl, I ignored them and hoped they would go away. I remember noticing a dragonfly on one of them once and thought it was enjoying a meal (I wasn’t sure which was enjoying the meal).

Eventually, I realised that they were just husks so assumed that something had gone through a metamorphosis but wasn’t sure what. Now I know it was dragonflies. As I said, I should have read the forum. Lol, now I can guess where all my toad tadpoles went too.

Here is a close-up of one of the husks….

 

[gluepack]

....and here is (probably) one of the dragonflies. It is a zoom shot and is slightly out of focus. I can't seem to get my macro/super macro function working without getting things completely out of focus....



...oh, saw this one as well (pity about the reed in the way in the first shot).....

...............

 

[j.w]

Glad you know now gp so you can watch for them again when they are morphing! Neat pix of them too!