This male Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax longipennis, rested in the obelisk posture, on a sun-crinkled lily leaf, pointing upward to the sky. While it may look like a tail to the dragonfly uninitiated, this blue-striped section of the insect is the abdomen. Dragonflies use this posture on hot days to keep cool, but apparently, Blue Dashers will also use this to signify territorial supremacy. Later in the day, this guy and another dasher spent time chasing one another around the pond. I hope they managed to nibble on some mosquitoes in order to keep up their energy!

Garden drama!

Conversely, this Great Spreadwing, Archilestes grandis, points its abdomen (“tail”) downward toward the water as it hangs from a piece of pond vegetation. This fella perched for hours above the cool pond. I originally saw him in the morning, but he was there at various points in the afternoon, just hangin’. The Great Spreadwing is a damselfly and one of the largest of the spreadwings in North America.

You’ll notice on the right side of the photo that one of the wings has some damage, perhaps from a bird or another damsel or dragon? And look at those beautiful, buggy-blue eyes!

Late summer brings the dragons and damsels out in full force, with plenty of zipping and zooming around the pond. Gorgeous predators, they’re fascinating to observe and sparkly jewels in the garden.