It rained all day yesterday and today I felt the need for a burst of color, so I worked up a shot that I took in early May of a male Southern Spreadwing damselfly (Lestes australis). Somehow this beautiful little damselfly fell to the back of the queue during a period of time when I was taking so many photos that I barely had time to review and sort them all.
Three things really strike me about this damselfly. It is much biggest than most of the damselflies; it perches with its wings spread wide, unlike most damselflies; and, most importantly for me, it has very striking turquoise eyes that draw me right in.
Special thanks to my friend, Walter Sanford, who located the damselfly and worked with others to establish that this was a Southern Spreadwing and not the visually similar Sweetflag Spreadwing. Walter said that he was so familiar with this particular damselfly that he nicknamed him “Arty,” because of his propensity for perching in front of photogenic backgrounds.
Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
The eyes are amazing.
It’s good to see Arthur S. Spreadwing again, a.k.a., “Arty.”
always look forward to your nature pictures – certainly the eye draws attention
Thanks. I am very curious and am attracted to all kinds of creatures, so there is always something new and different to feature on the blog.
Beautiful Spreadwing, Mike. I saw my first one of the year the other day. I have to take a moment to ID it! By the way, I started a WordPress Blog yesterday. I have a lot to learn, but it’s a beginning. It’s titled: Maple Flats Nature Journal. If you have a chance to check it out, I would appreciate any help you can suggest. Thanks, Mike!!
Congratulations, Ginny, on your siting and especially on starting up a blog. There are no rules for a blog–let it be a reflection of you and what interests you.