No. 19 Dragonflies and Damsel flies
[Remember to click on the photograph to enlarge the image] Broad Scarlet Dragonfly (male) in flight Now that the spring bird migration has largely finished, there are fewer unusual species that I can get out to watch or photograph. So, in an effort to find a different aspect of natural history to discover and photograph, I have been out looking at Dragonflies and Damsel flies during the last month or two. And what an impressively colourful selection of insects I have found. All of the individuals illustrated below were found either in Secret Valley or at Ayia Varvara. Dragonfly Broad Scarlet - female Dragonfly Broad Scarlet - male Dragonflies and Damsel flies are all members of the Order of insects called 'Odonata' (which means 'toothed', from their protruding mouthparts). They are all long, slender-bodied insects with two pairs of wings, each with an intricate network of veins. They all have large compound eyes but have only short or incon...