Blue Damselflies in the Garden

Glowing brown eyes of a blue damselfly © SB

Blue damselflies have arrived in my Regina backyard, feeding on (something in?) the grass and oregano.

I managed to get a couple of pictures of these quickly flitting — and very tiny (so difficult to focus) — insects. 

There are many kinds of damselflies. This, I know, because I have a copy of Dragonflies and Damselflies in the Hand. (Hutchings and Halstead, Nature Saskatchewan.)

And that book's focus is Saskatchewan's Boreal Forest, for which it lists at least nine kinds of damselflies; who knows how many others are here in the south of the province, on the Prairie? 

Well, someone no doubt does  — just not me.

So when I write, Blue, please understand that I mean Blue in its most generic, colour-descriptive sense. Because these are  Blue. 

Except for their oddly yellow-brown eyes. 

Blue damselfly on grass blade © SB  

What are these?  Blue damselflies   
Location: Backyard, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Photo date: June 28, 2012.  

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Damselflies: Condie Nature Refuge

Bluet Damselfly -- with startling grin.  © SB 

Condie Nature Refuge, near Regina, Saskatchewan: Damselflies are the tiny dancers of the Dragonfly world, so slight that my camera — even the new DSLR — struggles to find a still, solid point at the centre of their world on which to focus. Only two or three centimetres long, with a wingspan about the same, damselflies' needle-like abdomens must measure a few millimetres at most. (Not that I could catch one of these delicate creatures to try that — I have enough trouble trying to capture their image!

The first damselfly, at the top of this post, was stunning, a light shimmering turquoise blue, based on which, I've decided it must be a Bluet... Of course, nothing's easy for the non-biologist, and as it turns out, there are many different kinds of Bluets. Close-up shots of rear male appendages are apparently helpful for identification, but that takes photography to a whole new level.  

Take a minute to click to enlarge that Bluet — is it just me, or does its face bear a strange resemblance to the scary grins of the little creatures in the Gremlins horror movies of the 1980s/90s?

Continuing with the blue theme, the next two damselflies have bulging blue eyes — the first looked very opaque, while the second reflected a darker translucence. Again, these are tiny insects — shorter than the top two joints on my little finger, and I have very small hands.  

Damselfly, Boggy Creek, Condie Nature Refuge © SB

Damselfly, Condie Nature Refuge, Saskatchewan © SB

The final damselfly was paler, with a slightly brown cast overall, and very easy-to-see reddish spots at the top and end of its wings, similar to the damselfly immediately above.

Damselfly clinging to Thistle stalk © SB

All photos can be clicked to enlarge — and if you do, you'll see the amazing hairs on this last tiny guy's legs...


What are these? Damselflies — which look like tiny dragonflies, but are a slightly different species. 
Location: Condie Nature Refuge, about 12 km north of Regina.
Photo Date: August 27 & 28, 2011.

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