Dragonfly

[British Red]

Here are a few of mine

Beautiful Demoiselle (male)


Damsel4 by British Red, on Flickr

Mating Azure Damsels


Azure Damsel Fly by British Red, on Flickr


Azure Damsel Fly Mating by British Red, on Flickr

a few dragonflies


Dragonfly by British Red, on Flickr


Dragonfly by British Red, on Flickr


dragonfly on wheat by British Red, on Flickr


Emperor Dragonfly by British Red, on Flickr

 

[Dave]

Now youre just showing off! [Stunning photo's Hugh]


Arguably not quite as pretty as Dragonflies, mayflies are even older, and have been found in fossils, over 350 million years old. Like Dragonflies, they belong to the oldest oder of winged insects, palaeoptera.

There are over 2,500 species of Mayfly worldwide.
In the UK they live as nymphs on the riverbed, for up to two years, before emerging, around the time that the Hawthorn [the Mayflower] blooms.
The newly emerged adult Dun flies to a stem or the underside of a leaf, then sheds its skin again, just minutes, or hours, after emerging, [!] as a fully sexually developed mayfly. [Spinner]

They then perform the mating dance, in swarms over the surface, and live for a few minutes to a few days. Dependant on the species.
They dont have a mouth in this adult stage. So once their energy is depleted, thats it.

Populations of Mayflies, Stoneflies and Dragonflies have been in a steady decline because of Humans taking their habitat, hydro power development, pollution, acid rain etc. They are a vital source of food for all manner of wildlife, birds and fish, etc.

This is a Yorkshire 'greendrake' mayfly, Ephemera Danica, taken in upper Airedale earlier this year:

[/IMG]

They are normally only around for 2-3 weeks. This is called 'duffers fortnight', in fly fishing, as the trout go crazy for them, leaping out of the water. And even 'duffers' with a basic mayfly pattern can catch!

 

[sandbender]

I posted links to these previously but folks looking at this thread might appreciate them...

The Tiszavirág, once every three years these 'explode' out of the rivers of Hungary, this highly protected insect is from the same order as the Mayfly (Ephemeroptera), however these beasts can measure 12 cm from 'nose' to 'tail'

[video=youtube;4lQrp50e5kc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lQrp50e5kc[/video]

Gallery

 

[Dave]

Those Gallery photos are cool. I'd like to see that first hand.

 

[wattsy]

dragonflies have amazing names they sound like fighter planes. I've seen a few kicking around recently but never had any land to take a photo

 

[Harvestman]

One of mine taken on Saturday