True confession: I’ve struggled to stay motivated recently. The little voice inside my head kept asking, “Why do you endure long, difficult walks through chigger- and tick-infested vegetation, thorny vines, blood-thirsty mosquitos, hot and humid weather — all in pursuit of dragonflies and damselflies?”
Then I was reminded of the answer to my question: Sometimes Mother Nature gives me a glimpse of her awesome beauty. I enjoy sharing photographs of my good fortune, and I enjoy the opportunity for informal science education provided by my wildlife photography. I hope followers of my photoblog enjoy both looking at the photos and reading the related text!
14 MAY 2015 | Huntley Meadows Park | Painted Skimmer (female)
I spotted a single Painted Skimmer dragonfly (Libellula semifasciata) perching in a small meadow near a vernal pool.
14 MAY 2015 | Huntley Meadows Park | Painted Skimmer (female)
This individual is a female, as indicated by its terminal appendages. Female Painted Skimmers have a pair of flanges beneath their eighth abdominal segment that are used to scoop and hold a few drops of water when laying eggs (oviposition), hence the family name “Skimmer.” Remember that all dragonflies and damselflies have a 10-segmented abdomen, numbered from front to back.
14 MAY 2015 | Huntley Meadows Park | Painted Skimmer (female)
I’m especially fond of head-tilts in which the individual seems to display some of its personality.
14 MAY 2015 | Huntley Meadows Park | Painted Skimmer (female)
I worked the shot until my stunningly beautiful model …
14 MAY 2015 | Huntley Meadows Park | Painted Skimmer (female)
… decided the photoshoot was finished and flew high into the nearby trees.
14 MAY 2015 | Huntley Meadows Park | Painted Skimmer (female)
Please look at the full-size version of the preceding photos in order to see the exquisite coloration of this dragonfly.
Copyright © 2015 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Tags: female, head-tilt, Huntley Meadows Park, Libellula semifasciata, Painted Skimmer dragonfly, Skimmer Family, terminal appendages, vernal pool, wildlife photography
walter sanford's photoblog 
May 19, 2015 at 5:32 am |
Great shots, Walter, of a stunningly beautiful dragonfly. Your images captured an amazing amount of detail in the wings and the body. You pose some serious and thought-provoking questions at the start of the posting. What indeed motivates us to do what we do?
May 20, 2015 at 8:36 pm |
Fantastic photos Walter. I enjoy the science too.