ImagiNature Studio

Autumn Odonates: Not Just Hanging Around... 

I've found a few mating pairs of dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata) over the past week or so. Some, like this mating pair of Canada Darners, Aeshna canadensis, male above and female below, photographed in wheel on September 17 at Roaches Pond in Spryfield, are simply more common in the fall because they're multi-brooded. Populations generally get larger through the season in species that have more than one generation per year.

Other species, like this mating pair of Spotted Spreadwing Damselflies, Lestes congener, also in wheel, again male above and female below, and also photographed at Roaches Pond on September 17, are "autumn specialists" that only have a single generation per year and do not emerge until this time of year. Despite that it means that the season is winding down, it's always nice to see these rather plain damsels.