Oct. 14, 2018 - Insects

Summer has ended here in Minnesota, but I still have a few summer photos to share with you. All of them were taken at our home in northern Minnesota. This is a Hagen’s Bluet damselfly. Like all damselflies, it is quite small, only about 1¼ inches long. Hagen’s Bluet is one of the most abundant damselflies seen in the north woods.

DamselflyBluetHagen'smaleEallagmahageniDunningLakeItascaCounty20180707

At just over 3 inches long, the Lake Darner is one of our largest dragonflies. It can be seen in the north woods from the middle of June to the end of September.

DragonflyDarnerLakeAeshnaeremitaDunningItascaCounty20180908

The Blue Dasher dragonfly has a powdery blue abdomen, white face, and big green eyes. It picks a favorite perch near a pond or stream and flies out from that perch to catch insects.

DragonflyDasherBluePachydiplaxlongipennisDunningLakeItascaCounty20180704

Here’s a Blue Dasher perching on a Yellow Water Lily. In this photo, you can see the amber patch at the end of each wing.

DragonflyDasherBlueYellowWaterlilyDunningLakeItascaCounty20180714

The light was just right when I photographed this male Calico Pennant dragonfly perched on a dried stem of grass.

DragonflyPennantCalicomaleCelithemiselisaDunningLakeItsacaCounty20180810