Living Jewels

Hey guys!

I'm so excited cuz tomorrow I'll be getting my leaf insect! Oh boy am I nervous about its upkeeping and what not... hopefully things will go smoothly and I will be able to observe the growth/life cycle of a leaf insect in time! And it only took me a formal letter to get it! Such a hassle! On the other hand check out some of the amazing bugs I found today.

Unidentified red damselfly

This, my friends is a damselfly. They are closely related to dragonflies only much less ferocious looking. Damselflies, like dragonflies are normally found near bodies of water as they lay their eggs in aquatic vegetation. The nymphs that hatch from these eggs are carnivorous and they often subsist on small fish, tadpoles, insects and even each other! Adults too are carnivorous and feed mainly on small flies and mosquitoes! Unlike dragonflies which hold their wings spread above their backs, Damselflies keep them folded most of the time and tend to have a slower, gentler sort of flight (which probably explains why I prefer them to their more joltier cousins). Some damselflies have iridescent pigmentation on their wings (which they use in their courtship flights) but almost all have brilliantly coloured bodies. Take a closer look.

Isn't it a beaut? Red abdomen, orange thorax and emerald green eyes!

I also managed to catch a few other insects today, including a Great Helen swallowtail (which had been attacked by a small bird) and yet another praying mantis nymph (this one of a different genus). But I would say definitely that this red damselfly was the prize of the day for me! All specimens, of course were released unharmed with exception of the mantis which now lives in a plastic cup (similar to Ninja's) on my desk. What can I say I'm a sucker for these bugs!

Oh what a tangled web we weave, when we seek to deceive.