Damselfly Mating

Unlike most insects, male damselflies deposit sperm in a secondary genitalia structure on the second and third abdominal segment by bending the abdomen forward. Once the sperm has been transferred, the male courts females, eventually clasping a female behind the head with claspers on the tip of his abdomen. The two fly in tandem for [...]

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Cryptic Sonoran Damselflies

Even the cryptically colored Sonoran damselflies are stunning! A face-on view can be seen at http://thingsbiological.wordpress.com/2010/08/03/even-the-damselflies-are-cryptically-colored/.

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Kickapoo State Park – My Favorite Photography Site

The following entry was written Monday, May 31, 2011. Mid-90s, humid, chance of rain, but maybe not… It’s pretty clearly summer, even if it’s still May! I took advantage of my first day of summer vacation to drive out to Kickapoo State Park, the first Illinois state park I had opportunity to visit upon arriving [...]

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2011 Entomological Society of America North Central Branch Insect Photographic Salon

I decided to do something a little different when I selected images for this salon. Because the number of entomologists on the judging committee for this salon is higher than any other international PSA salons (I think), I entered two images with a proven track record in general PSA Nature competitions (strong detail and background, [...]

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Ridgewood Camera Club Nature/Wildlife Results

New Jersey’s Ridgewood Camera Club sponsors one of the best international nature photography competitions. The number of entries is huge, and the accepted images are stunning. Last year I entered the competition and was thrilled to have an image accepted. Just got the results for this year – two images were accepted. “At the Sanapdragon’s [...]

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Mississippi Valley Exhibition

The Photo Gods began the international photography competition season smiling favorably on some of my most recent photos. In this competition, “Nature” included photos taken in zoo or wildlife park settings, while “Wildlife” required the species be photographed in its natural habitat. Since almost all of my photos (except my early mantid shots) are taken [...]

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Sexual Dimorphism in Ebony Jewelwings

Ebony jewelwings (Calopteryx maculata) are stunning, long-legged damselflies, found in proximity to shaded streams, that always stand out from the environment. Both genders are characterized by a metallic ebony body. Males have extraordinarily wide, uniformly black wings, while the wings of females are brown with white stigmas.

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Sexual Dimorphism in American Rubyspots

Female rubyspots show quite a bit of color variation. Note the white spot (stigma) near the top of the wing. American rubyspots (Hetaerina americana) are attractive damselflies found throughout the U.S. These long-legged damselflies get their name from the characteristic red markings at the base of their wings. They are somewhat easy to photograph and [...]

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Even the damselflies are cryptically colored…

I’ve really come to love so many things associated with the Sonoran Desert. It’s such a contrast to east central IL. The differences in diversity, though entirely expected, are astounding. Within a few minutes of getting out at our first stop I walked along a temporary stream and encountered my first Sonoran damselfly. Like so [...]

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Evening Shooting

I’m loving this evening shooting. It could certainly get to be a habit!

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