Darning needles
Darning needles and dragonflies abound on our property, due to the creek. They eat an amazing number of insects. The also seem very friendly. Often, when I was a kid swimming at my grandparents lakehouse, dragonflies and darning needles would land on me when I was swimming. I think they can bite, but I've never been bitten and I'm not afraid of them. I'm always happy to see them. The irridescent colors are so beautiful and they are all so different.
Today was such an idyllic day. Danny had a friend visiting and they were having a ball catching minnows. I sat on a lawnchair with my feet in the water, reading a book about mushrooms. the whole time these playful black and metallic green darning needles were dancing around me. They kept landing on me. I took some pictures. They are so friendly. :-)
Today was such an idyllic day. Danny had a friend visiting and they were having a ball catching minnows. I sat on a lawnchair with my feet in the water, reading a book about mushrooms. the whole time these playful black and metallic green darning needles were dancing around me. They kept landing on me. I took some pictures. They are so friendly. :-)
posted by Kate at 5:35 PM
3 Comments:
I think they might be called something different colloquially between the different regions of the US. I've always heard dragonflies called "the devil's darning needles." Would what you call "darning needles" be damselflies by any chance? I'm not up on my bugs, so I'm not really sure about that, anyhow.
I love the shot of the iridescent green one... lovely. And the one where its weightlessly balancing on a tender blade of grass. Awesome shot to catch. You must be a very patient photographer to get a shot like that.
I don't know if that particular species of dragonfly bites, but I remember going to camp as a kid and some biologist type person telling us that the dragonfly larvae we caught in the pond were voracious but their adult versions couldn't eat at all! They were only gorgeous and horny: doomed to mate and die. I could be wrong, but that's what I remember from when I was about 10.
Katiedid, I think you are right, they are damselflies.
My Nana always called the ones who's wings fold together above it's body "darning needles" and the one's who's wings stay outstretched "dragonflies". So I guess I do too.
T: Gorgeous and horny, LOL. Well there's worse ways to go. :-)
Post a Comment
<< Home