Darters, Damsels and Dragons

Recently I have been taking quite some pictures of dragonflies and darters. I did already had a few pictures of one particular damselfly in my archive. They all belong to the family of the Coenagrionidae and are carnivorous. They are actually known to be fierce predators.

Where the dragonflies and darters will rest with their wings abreast, the damselflies will fold theirs parallel to their abdomen. But all of them have beautiful colours.

It is however not easy to take pictures, because they are splendid flyers and hover only for a short moment. Luckily I have been able to catch some with my camera; one perticular even in flight! I am therefore proud to present the results.

This Ruddy Darter (Sympetrum Sanguineum) happened to sit still for a longer period when I was visiting the Slimbridge Wetland Centre. The Dutch name is Bloedrode Heidelibel.

 

 

The picture below is of a Common Darter (Sympetrum Striolatum) of which the Dutch name is: Bruinrode Heidelibel. It could be easily mistaken for the Ruddy Darter, unless you look closely at the difference in colours.

 

The Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum) is indeed not rare and a lot can be seen in high grass on a warm day. The colours of the male are very bright and blue, whereas the female has a more grey-ish pattern.

The Dutch name is: Watersnuffel.

When they mate, the male curls it’s tail and insert it’s sperm in the top of the female’s abdomen

This can be seen in the picture below of two similar damselflies: the Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura Elegans) which is called Laantaarntje in Dutch.

To end this blog, I will show some of the bigger dragonflies. They are: a female Broad-bodied Chaser or Darter (Libellula Depressa, Platbuik), a Brown Hawker (Aeshna Grandis, Bruine Glazenmaker), an Emperor Dragonfly (Anax Imperator, Grote Keizerlibel) and a Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum Cancellatum,  Gewone Overlibel).

	These insects are indeed remarkable and beautiful. I should go out and about to find some more different varieties. Because this is only a start…

A Different View on Nature

Most of the pictures used in articles, blogs and books about nature look like portraits. The most colourful or detailed from the writer’s archive are used and all animals look as if they were posing for the occasion. Feathers and fur nicely groomed and everything ready for the shot.

But it can be so different. In this blog I would like to show you alternative animal pictures.

“Hey, what are you looking at!”

This Otter (Lutra Lutra)  on the left seems to be disturbed by my camera, while he is waiting for his food.

 

Lately I was able to see Shoveler Ducks (Anas Clypeata) in a different way. Normally they glide gracefully through the water, but when the drakes loose their beautiful white colours, things change dramatically.

When it comes to grooming, there are more birds that bend in difficult poses to come clean. I did write a blog about this earlier, but I found some other pictures in my archive. Pictures of a Bewick Swan (Cygnus Columbianus) , two Ringed Teals (Callonetta Leucophrys), a Grey-crowned Crane (Balearica Regulorum) and a Common Teal (Anas Crecca).

Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes) in zoos are a great source for pictures out of the ordinary. They just do whatever they like without being bothered by the spectators.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will end this blog with some serious violence. Two Mallard Ducks (Anas Platyrhynchos) are fighting, most likely for a lady. I did not stay to see who won, but the fight was indeed fearsome.

Butterflies by family (5 of 5): Hesperiidae and Zygaenidae

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In this last blog, I will tell a story of lookalikes and mistaken identity. It took me quite a while, before I could distinguish between the Large Skipper (Ochlodes Sylvanus) and the Small Skipper (Thymelicus Sylvestris), both of the family of the Hesperiidae. Because they are quite small and almost equal in size. Their colours are just the same and you even find them together in the same habitat. The Large Skipper is called Groot Dikkopje in Dutch; the Small Skipper is called Geelsprietdikkopje.

The most obvious difference is the pattern of the light brown markings on their orange wings. The Large Skipper has a more chequered pattern whereas the Small Skipper has thin, prolonged  lines.

These pictures should show what I mean. As I said, it took me quite some time to actually see the difference.

 

A much more obvious difference, because you just count the spots, is the one between the Five-spot Burnet (Zygaena Trifolii) and the Six-spot Burnet (Zygaena Filipendulae), both of the family of the Zygaenidae. They are actually moths, but they can be seen at daytime.

They both visit a range of flowers and can sometimes be seen together on one flower. The pictures below show the countable spots. In Dutch, the five-spot one is called Vijf-vlek St-Jansvlinder, and the other one just St-Jansvlinder.

This ends my series of five blogs, showing (off) my butterfly picture archive, organised by family. I hope you enjoyed it; I certainly enjoyed putting it together.

It was a hard call to choose the picture I would like to end this series with. Therefore I decided to end with the very first picture I took of a butterfly. It was taken in Butterfly World near St. Albans and it is a picture of two Monarch butterflies (Danaus Plexippus).

Butterflies by family (4 of 5): Lycaenidae

The family of the Lycaenidae consists of hairstreaks, coppers and blues. When they fold their wings, they look very much alike. But once they open them it becomes a whole different story.

The typical “backwing pattern” can be seen on this female Common Blue (Polyommatus Icarus) on the left.

The Common Blue, in Dutch known as Icarusblauwtje, is normally “raised” by ants in their nest. The larvae produce a honeydew-like substance that ants do like very much upon which they will take it to their nest…and care for it.

The young butterfly might even, as a caterpillar, eat some well needed proteins (ants as it were) and once the chrysalis turns into a butterfly, it just flies away without even thanking the ants.

A beautiful and very bright blue butterfly, that deserves to be shown.

 

The picture at the top of this blog is a Small Copper (Lycaena Phlaeus). As I said earlier in this blog, the coppers are also part of this family. It is a very bright coloured butterfly, of which the Dutch name is: Kleine Vuurvlinder (small fire butterfly).  You will normally see them on flowers and at medium height. I have only one other candidate to show. and since there is not much more to be said, let’s just show it.

The last family member of the Lycaedinae to show in this blog is the Holly Blue (Celastrina Argiolus). Although they have the same appearance as the other family members, their closed wing pattern is more blue than the others.

In Dutch this butterfly is called: Boomblauwtje. The dark blue edges on the light blue wings are truly exquisite!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the last blog of the series, I will show you two cases of lookalikes in two different families: the Hisperiidae and the Zyganidae (Skippers and Burnets).

To finish off, just another picture of the Common Blue that I took this month.

Butterflies by family (3 of 5): Pieridae

The Pieridae are the whites amongst the butterflies. They are indeed predominantly white but with that they are still delicately coloured as well. Let’s start with the puzzle I solved for myself: the difference between the Large White (Pieris Brassicae) and the Small White (Pieris Rapae).

The Large White has a black spot on the tip of the forewing that stretches halfway, whereas the Small White only has a distinctive (but smaller) black tip on it’s forewing.

But you can only see that when you look at your pictures when back home (or that is how I saw the difference…eventually).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They are very lively creatures and they will not necessarily stay on a flower or a leave for long. That makes taking a picture quite a challenge, although I have been able to take some nevertheless. In Dutch these butterflies are called Groot Koolwitje and Klein Koolwitje respectively.

 

One of the first butterflies to see in the spring is the Brimstone (Gonepteryx Rhamni). This lemon coloured butterfly was unknown to me until I saw one in May this year. I have shown it before, but it cannot be left out of this blog. In Dutch this butterfly is called Citroenvlinder, or “lemon butterfly”.

I once read that the Brimstone is one of the butterflies that lives the longest, sometimes up to thirteen months, although most of this time is spent in hibernation.

As it is often the first butterfly to be seen in the spring, even as early as January when hibernating adults are awoken on a sunny day There is a popular myth that it is this butterfly which gave us the word butterfly, an amalgamation of butter-coloured fly.

 

And finally a favourite of mine: the Orange Tip (Anthocharis Cardamines). It is a true member of the whites with a distinctive orange tip at it’s forewings.

Not one of the biggest of the family, but once you have seen one you will not forget the name.

In Dutch this butterfly is called: Oranjetipje. That means “little orange tip”. Nice name for a nice (Dutch coloured) butterfly.

Next time, I will show some blues and coppers from the family of the Lycaenidae.

The last picture in this blog is another of the Orange Tip.

 

Butterflies by family (2 of 5): Nymphalidae

The second blog in this series is dedicated to the most colourful of them all: the Nymphalidae’s. The are also called the “brush footed” butterflies and there are about 6.000 different species in this family. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colourful wings flat when resting. Funny enough are the bright colours on their upperwings compensated by a dull pattern on their underwings.  Let’s show what I’ve got.

Who doesn’t know the Peacock (Inachis Io)? This extremely beautiful and very recognizable butterfly can be seen from early March until September, with a pause when the eggs change into caterpillars etc. in June.

The big eyes on the tip of the forewings are of course the reason for it’s name.

Normally, you will see just one flying very gracefully and land on anything. From the ground to long grass to flowers, as you can see from these three pictures. This butterfly is called in Dutch: Dagpauwoog.

There is not much more to be said, other than enjoy the pictures…and the actual butterfly when you see it.

 

 

The Comma (Polygonia C-Album) butterfly is always kind enough to wait for me to take several pictures, before it flies away again. A very calm and hardly stressed butterfly indeed.

They can be seen on the ground as well as in low bushes at the edge of forests. I have even seen one in my garden this year as well.

It is called Gehakkelde Aurelia in Dutch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais Urticae) is reported to be in decline. Although not 100% scientifically proven, a parasite seems to be the best explanation at present. That is a shame, because they are truly colourful with a very busy pattern on their wings. perhaps the most distinguishable are the bleu spots on the edge of the lower upperwing.

This butterfly was the first one I ever took a picture of in the wild. It has captured my interest ever since. It is called Kleine Vos in Dutch.

Recently I saw two of them mating, which is always a good thing to see since it means that there will be a new generation afterwards. They could use this boost!

I have published that picture in an earlier blog, but it deserves to be shown again in celebration of this wonderful butterfly.

 

 

The last in this blog about the Nymphalidae is the Red Admiral (Vanessa Atalanta). Regal, authoritative and colourful. This butterfly is a true member of the family.

Their upperwings are indeed much more colourful than the somewhat dull underwings. But who is complaining, if you are privileged to see one anyway?

I have seen them often on big flowers, which makes their sight even more spectacular. In Dutch, this butterfly is simply called: Atalanta.

In the next blog of this series I will show the family of the Pieridae  or “the whites”.

It was a hard call to decide with which of these four to finish off. I decided for a picture of a radiant and almost transparent Comma.