last week sam & i watched this show about dragonflies (suborder Anisoptera).
did you know that fossils of very large ancestors of the dragonfly have been found...
with a wingspan of over 29 inches!? yikes! i didn't.
did you know that there are about 3000 species of Anisoptera? nope, sure didn't.
up to several years of the insect's life is spent as a nymph living in freshwater;
the adults may be on the wing for just a few days or weeks.
dragonflies are an ancient group. they have been around for 300 million years!!
wOw!!!
all of this and more, interested me so much...and since i have such a fondness for bugs (and fungi!)...
i thought i'd go on the hunt for some cool dragonflies and fungi.
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| Four-spotted Pennant - Brachymesia gravida |
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| earth star |
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| Antillean Skimmer - Orthemis sp |
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| Great Pondhawk - Erythemis vesiculosa |
here's a Great Pondhawk munching away on...a butterfly? another dragonfly? something!
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| Seaside Dragonlet - Erythrodiplax berenice |
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| Eastern Pondhawk - Erythemis simplicicollis |
well, that's it!
oh yeah, i almost forgot...the bats! dead bats.
sam knows me. no doubt about that. forget flowers. chocolates. just bring me some bones!!
(he found these at work. they were caught up in the big roll down warehouse door. poor bats.)
i'll be roaming around blogland this weekend...until then,
thanks for stopping by & reading, or just looking at the pictures!
be cool. be safe.
laura
well, glad the bats died of being squished rather than being sick. would hate to have them around you with rabies, etc. :) interesting facts on the dragonflies! and i LOVE the colorful fungi!
ReplyDeletethanks theresa! yes, so much info on those dragonflies. i learned A LOT!! and yeah, they got hung up in that warehouse door...poor bats...
DeleteOh yeah, poor squashed bats. It's always such a delight to see your critters, and insects, in such lovely settings. Nature is springing forth in your neck of the woods! Soon, we'll catch up.
ReplyDeleteYES!! poor little squashed bats!! i'm sure your spring will be there SOON!!!!
DeleteNeat info on the dragonflies. Love this post with the pretty dragonflies and the fungi.. Have a happy weekend!
ReplyDeletethanks eileen!! and you have a happy weekend too!! :)
DeleteOh the poor bats. The Pres is going to make a new bat house for the yard...I like watching them. Now as far as the Dragonflies go, yes, I learned a lot about them a few years ago at a local forest presentation....amazing critters!!!...:)JP
ReplyDeletewe had a bathouse when we lived up in lake city for a year...last year. but we didn't bring it when we moved back home to Gville. i guess sam will just have to build one!
DeleteI love dragonflies! The Great Pondhawk is so great.
ReplyDeleteI think I have seen Eastern Pondhawks around the lake in W.V., they are also great big green (at least females) dragonflies. But not quite as big.
~
oh yeah...i love dragonflies too!! :)
DeleteNo . . . I didn't know . . .
ReplyDeleteDragonfly wing span of over 29 inches . . . .
300 million years . . .
I do know what you like . . .
Amazing dragon fly varieties you found . . .
and fungi . . .
and that Sam brought you "your kind of flowers" . . .
this I know . . .
bones and bat joy . . .
have a good one . . .
i didn't know any of that either...it was a fascinating show!! on history channel maybe?? OH and my bones!! poor little bats...but i will have some cool bat bones...eventually.
Deleteanyway...thanks for stopping by Lynne!!
As a love of baseball, I'd call these 'broken bats'.
ReplyDeleteha!! yep...you're right! they ARE broken. very broken bats :(
Delete(but i'll have me some bones in a while!!)
gorgeous photos as usual, love the earth star thing! We do not have that sort of star here. Very cool!
ReplyDeletethanks linda!! the earth stars are so cool. little 'puff' balls!!
DeleteWow! That was really interesting info on the dragonflies. You make me want to see the program. I especially love the ones that look metallic in greens and blues--like the third one down. They are just as remarkable as butterflies, but people don't think about them the same way.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad the bats didn't die of disease, too, but so sad they were squished. Your hubby knows you well, though. ;) Have a super weekend.
i THINK that dragonfly program was on the history channel...but i'm not really sure about that...we were tv surfing & just came across it!! oh yeah...for me, i love ALL the critters...whether they crawl, fly...slink...swim...as long as SOME of them, like spiders in particular...don't start crawling on me!! haha.
Deletehave a nice weekend rita! :)
Oh beautiful, love them. The last two dragonflies are excellent Laura.
ReplyDeletethanks BoB!! i appreciate your kind words!! :)
DeleteLove the dragonflies (you are so amazing at capturing their natural colors). And the earth star is magnificent.
ReplyDeletethanks magaly! :) i love the earth stars!!!
DeleteSuch fun insects to photograph! Wonderful photos! I'm glad none of their wingspans measured 29 inches, though.
ReplyDeletei'm glad the wingspans are not that big too...otherwise i would fear getting carried away by one!! but what great pictures i might get from the 'dragonfly's view'!! :)
DeleteOh my gosh laura! You had an incredibly successful hunt. All those different dragonflies, some I've never seen before in real or even in pictures. You are amazing the way you can get these flitty things to pose for you. Incredible pictures. I love them, but that prehistoric one withevthatvwing span ... Uh, no. Good thing we weren't around then!
ReplyDeletethanks sallie!! so many dragonflies...so little time! :)
DeleteExcelentes fotografias....
ReplyDeleteCumprimentos
thank you!! as are yours!! :)
Delete