Sunday, April 25, 2010

First Dragonflies of the Year: Green Darner

Last week I spotted my first dragonflies of 2010. They were green darners of course. Some green darner dragonflies actually migrate south, sort of like birds or monarch butterflies. Their migration is a little bit different though. Unlike birds or monarchs the green darners that migrate south reproduce and lay eggs when they reach their southern destination and then they die, as most dragonflies and butterflies do shortly after laying their eggs.
The eggs hatch into the larval form of the dragonfly in the warm southern waters over the winter months and then emerge as dragonflies in the spring. These dragonfly then head north, which is why they are usually the first dragonflies that we see each spring. When they reach their northern destination they will mate, lay eggs, and then die. Their offspring which emerge in early fall will then migrate south again beginning the circle once more. This dragonfly was a fresh emergent last August. You can tell that she had recently emerged by how shinny her wings are. She landed in this evergreen to dry her wings before she would take off into the world which made for a great macro opportunity.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wonderful images as usual. I saw a dragonfly on Wednesday -- finally.

Kala said...

I love dragonflies! Thanks for sharing.

Vicki said...

I love the detail in the second photo.

Jayne said...

Great shots - love dragonflies. :)

Hootin Anni said...

That 2nd and last photo is so great. Wow!!!


Here is my Macro Monday...Penelope Pelican, if you'd like to stop by to visit with me today!

Munin said...

Wow that is truly a beautiful dragonfly! Love the second picture where you see the texture of its eyes and wings so clearly!

Misty DawnS said...

I can't wait to see the dragonflies again! I can never get a Darner sitting still!

Levinson Axelrod said...

Wonderful shot of the dragonfly. Its green color is vibrant.
Enjoyed the quality of this photo very much.