The season started well with my first ever "Friendly Hawker" (Zosteraeschna minuscila)!
Two weeks ago there were no dragonflies, but now in early summer here, they have started to emerge.
I will show you a variety of these beauties today in the hope that you will also marvel at the beautiful intricacies of nature!
Come and have a look!
Here below we have a newborn "Long Skimmer" (Orthetrum trinacria) drying out on a wall before taking flight!
This guy that is so well camouflaged is known as a "Two-striped Skimmer" (Orthetrum caffrum"!
Here he is again, sitting on an aloe plant!
This one below is NOT a dragonfly, but rather a "Damselfly" of the "Zygoptera" families!
I have seen quite a few pictures of Damselflies labeled as Dragonflies!
This particular Damselfly is a "Slate Sprite" (Pseudagrion salisburyense)!
And finally a question for you!
How many dragonflies are flying here below?
If you say 6, then you need to see an optometrist 🤣
There are only 3 dragonflies in flight in the picture above, as the rest are their reflections in the water, as can be seen below!
And That's All Friends!
"The term "dragonflies" is commonly used to refer to the Order of insects known as the Ordonata, which comprises two suborders-Antisoptera (true dragonflies and Zygoptera (damselflies).
Six damselfly families comprising 66 species and six dragonfly families comprising 98 species are known to occur over here in South Africa"
Source: "A Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of South Africa.
Authors: Warwick and Michele Tarboton.
Head spinning stuff to identify certain species, as many look so similar, but the context helps a lot to identify some of them.
Most notably where the dragonfly was found at the time of the photo. Near water, or on land can help a lot with identification.
Note: All photos are my own and taken this week with a Canon Powershot SX60HS camera.
We hope that you have enjoyed the pictures and thank you for visiting a post by @papilloncharity
Disclaimer:
The articles, trademarks, and photos appearing on this @papilloncharity site may not be used in any advertising or publicity, or affiliation with any product or service, or for private purposes, without the author's prior written permission.
All posts are placed without prejudice!
PLEASE DO NOT COPY
Congratulations @papilloncharity! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :
You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPTo support your work, I also upvoted your post!
Do not miss the last post from @hivebuzz:
Oh! The dragonflies are so-o-o beautiful and as you say have such intricate designs! Beautiful shots and I learned something today that what I had classified as a dragonfly was actually a damsel fly.
What exactly is the difference?
Thank you milady!
Normally the eyes and the slim (thin) body of the damselflies are the giveaway.
Their eyes form two loose knobs on their heads and their bodies are thin lines.
The dragonflies have a more robust build and their eyes are bigger forming a part of their heads!
Interesting!
Thanks for the info!
Congratulations @papilloncharity! You received a personal badge!
Wait until the end of Power Up Day to find out the size of your Power-Bee.
May the Hive Power be with you!
You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
Do not miss the last post from @hivebuzz:
I've always been fascinated by the dragonflies! Thank you for sharing!
We share that fascination milady.
In fact when I got my first camera a wise man told me to practice by taking photos of dragonflies. That's exactly what I did for about a year, as there were many ponds and dams near us. My one rare dragonfly photo even made its way into a USA wildlife magazine.
They are fierce little critters, but it's their agility in flight and their florescent colors that holds me entranced!
I would love to see that rare picture! When I was a kid we had a small garden behind our school and after hours I would go there with my friends and chase dragonflies. I remember their vibrant blue hues... I loved those times
Hahaha and I don't think that any of you ever actually caught a butterfly milady?
It sounds like pure innocence to me. Something to be treasured in the self lol.
I will look for the link of the article.
I love looking at butterflies when it's their season. Their colours are a marvel to watch
Yes indeed, little beings of light.
That's why I used the French word for butterfly (Papillon) for our charity.