Darner dragonflies fly rapidly and tirelessly over local lakes, ponds and woodlands as they hunt for other insects to eat. Seemingly always in the air, they are most likely to be photographed in flight. Yet, they do land long enough to mate. These pictures are of one of the darner species: the Paddle-tailed Darner.
Two pictures show a Paddle-tailed Darner in flight: head on and in profile.
These Paddle-tailed Darners are mating in the grass.
A moment after this picture was taken the two of them flew off to lay the eggs with the male still holding the female by the back of the head. He stayed with her to protect his investment from other males.
Etty versus Doug
Etty would not have approved of Doug or his lawn.
Etty was the daughter of Charles Darwin and she helped her father with his editing, alas, often with an eye to bowdlerizing biology to conform with her Victorian sensibilities.
Etty’s oddest campaign was her attempt to cleanse the world of, what she viewed as, an obscene fungus. As Etty’s niece reports:
Douglas Sly is a lakeside resident who has harboured in his lawn the object of Etty’s moral outrage: a common stinkhorn. This fungus’ scientific name tells all: Phallus impudicus—the shameless phallus. Here is Doug’s picture of it.
Douglas Sly’s picture is used with permission.