I love to sit on the front porch and watch the dragonflies
chase around above the Water Garden. The
Blue Dasher is an abundant and entertaining member of the group.
Males of the species are most noticeable as they perch on
vegetation near the water. They will
typically choose the highest point on a plant stalk from which to sit and
observe, but when the rushes bend down the dragonflies will take a position on
the highest point of the arc. From this
vantage point they will rush out to capture small flying insects or chase away
rival males. There are so many things
that need chasing that the males are seldom still for very long.
The females are more secretive and less often
seen. They will perch to watch for
suitable insect prey, but they don’t go in for the aerial acrobatics associated
with protecting a territory. That and
their more drab coloration, tends to keep them from being noticed.
A female hovering close above the water usually indicates an
individual searching for a suitable location to deposit eggs. The downdraft from her wings produces a
pattern of rough water similar to that below a hovering helicopter.
Egg release occurs when the female dips down and touches the
tip of her abdomen to the water. Several
hundred eggs can be released a few at a time in less than a minute. Each egg will produce an aquatic nymph that
will stalk the depths of the Water Garden in search of aquatic prey.
This short video shows the female depositing eggs into the
water. The white eggs can be seen
falling through the water after each dip of the abdomen. Click HERE for the higher quality YouTube
version of the video.
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