Obviously, we’re getting well away from arthropod season right now, plus I’ve had little opportunity to chase photos anyway, so we’re going to step back to July with this one, the same cooperative dragonfly as seen here. This is a female blue dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis,) posing on a dried rosebud. The ‘blue’ bits would still be out of the frame had this been a male, showing primarily on the long abdomen, but the females don’t display this anyway – I guess calling the species ‘sometimes blue dasher’ just didn’t sound right.
Going slow with dragonflies can often permit nice, close approaches, since they seem more alerted by sudden movement than by proximity. In fact, it’s not hard to get them to perch on your fingertip; just slide your finger very slowly towards them, straight in from the front and slightly beneath, and when right under the chin, push up gently under the head until they have to step onto your finger or fly away – most times they’ll simply take a new perch on your finger, perhaps after tilting their head around rapidly a few times in apparent confusion. Don’t worry about biting – even when they’re so inclined (usually only if they feel threatened,) their mouthparts aren’t strong enough to do anything more than tickle us. It’s good practice for moving slowly, and really impresses the babes (I’m guessing, anyway – I mean, it has to, right?)
Anyway, I just liked the juxtaposition of sharp elements and delicate colors with this one, so it’s been sitting in my blog folder waiting for an opportunity. And here we are…