
Rush Hour Above the Pond
About This Artwork
It's June and around the pond that means rush hour! It is teeming with damselflies, broad-bodied chasers and darners. All varieties of dragonflies. Large eyes, strong legs…perfect for hunting other insects. The aeshnas, or mosaic darners, are the largest dragonflies we see above our pond. The males are zigzagging across the pond like fighter jets chasing off other males in pursuit of a female. I've spotted an Emperor dragonfly as well and counted at least forty skins stuck on reeds where the nymphs emerge as dragonflies. The Broad-bodied chaser has one particular reed stalk from which he hunts flies, mosquitos and small butterflies. He aggressively defends his territory from other dragonflies.