During most of the year the bright red body of Blue-faced Meadowhawk dragonfly (Sympetrum ambiguum) would really stand out, but in the late autumn, it blends in pretty well with the vegetation. However, it is almost impossible to conceal this species’ stunning blue eyes and turquoise face, which cause it to stand out from even a very cluttered background.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
The diversity of colours among dragonflies is just incredible. The red in this one almost seems to glow.
This is one of my favorite dragonflies, especially this late in the season, when there are so few still around. We’ve had some temperatures near freezing the last few nights and I fear that all of the Blue-faced Meadowhawks are all gone.
He certainly blends in well. Another great photo Mike.
Thanks, Dan. Normally I try to separate my subject from the background, but that would have been impossible to do here. When I looked at the image, I decided that I liked it, even though the viewer has to work a little to pick out the subject.
The where’s Waldo of insects 🙂
Fantastic shot!!! 🙂
Thanks, Ed. I’ll soon be bidding farewell to dragonflies and most other insects, so I figure it’s ok to post the images as long as I am able to capture them.
Actually, Mike, I like the clutter in the background of this photo. I’m amazed with the cold streak we’ve been having that you are still finding insects to photograph. The waterfowl are starting to arrive in larger numbers, though lately, it’s the raptors that I’ve been catching up close and personal. That’s a great photo of a stunning insect!!
I took this shot,Judy, this past Monday, which was one of the last warm days before this cold hit. I’ll be shooting birds soon and just got the Tamron 150-600mm lens to give me more reach.
Can’t wait to see your bird photos with the new lens. Be patient while you adjust to the new lens – for the first few weeks with the 500mm zoom, my shots were frustratingly blurry. Sometimes I even missed the entire bird!! Smile. Have fun with it!!!
Love the shot, and dragonfly.
Thanks. The colors on this dragonfly are simply amazing in person.
He really is well camouflaged. I think I probably would have missed him.
Most of the time, I catch sight of dragonflies only when they move. If they stay still, it’s tough to see them, even when looking right at them.
This is a gorgeous photo!
That little fellow does blend in. I always thought walking sticks were cool the way they blend in, too. Ditto for chameleons. Nature does a good job giving her critters the camouflage they need to survive.
It is definitely cool that so many animals, birds, and insects blend in so well with their environments, though it is equally exciting to find ones that are so brilliantly colored that they could never blend in. Nature is amazing!
I’m just surprised you saw it at all. I’m sure I would have missed it even with those eyes.