Last week, I posted about how much I love Rhapsody in Blue, by Gershwin.
Can you see her there, among the grasses? How delicately she perches!
But today, I am all about a Rhapsody in Bluet. Bluets are damselflies of the genus Enallagma (although members of the genus Coenagrion are also sometimes referred to as Bluets), which is in the family Coenagrionidae.
“I can look pretty and dainty while I eat, can you?”
Damselflies share the order Odonata with the dragonflies, and you may notice the striking similarities between those two groups. (The most noticeable difference between damselflies and dragonflies is that damselflies fold their wings lengthwise at rest.)
“It is more lady like to fold your wings this way!”
The females of the Bluets are not very blue, as you can see. Another good example of sexual dimorphism and crypsis! The females are also impossible to identify to species, so you will have to settle for the rough taxonomic category of genus (Enallagma sp.).
Dreamy damselflies
I find them so hard to differentiate amongst the grasses and reeds without the color. Blending in really has its evolutionary benefit though and in this case, the dimorphism between the sexes. I like the first image the best. It shows how hard it is to find them in this environment. She almost looks like a broken grass tip.
I like that one too! It looks rather like a painting, doesn’t it?
It does, a beautiful image.
Photographing those little damselflies is hard! One move and they are off. I think they are so delicate looking.
I think so too! So lovely.
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