Friend or foe in Brussels?

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Friend or foe in Brussels?

September 6, 2018 by Mike Powell

I can’t help but wonder what was going through the minds of these two insects as they perched on the same stalk of vegetation this past weekend at the botanical garden in Brussels, Belgium. Their postures suggest to me a heightened sense of alertness and a kind of wariness. The much smaller damselfly at the top seems to be cautiously looking down over its shoulder at the Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta), who appears to be focusing his attention upward. Was it a sign of curiosity or one of hunger? There was never any sign of direct aggression, but I note that the damselfly was the first one to take off and the dragonfly did not pursue it.

For those of you who are not as hooked on dragonflies as I am, this image shows pretty clearly some of the differences in the body shape and eye positions of a damselfly versus a dragonfly. It is important, though, to keep in mind the amazing diversity within the community of dragonflies and damselflies in terms of color, size, and behavior—these are some of the reasons why I am drawn to them as subjects for my photography.

Posted in damselfly, Dragonflies, dragonfly, Insects, Nature, Photography, Travel, wildlife | Tagged Aeshna mixta, botanical garden of Brussels, Brussels Belgium, Canon SX50, damselfly, friend or foe, Migrant Hawker, Migrant Hawker dragonfly | 9 Comments

9 Responses

on September 6, 2018 at 3:54 am | Reply blhphotoblog

Superb shot Mike! The Damsel is a Willow Emerald (Chalcolestes viridis) the Emeralds are very hard to separate this one has a pale brown pterostigma bordered black. They are recent colonists to the east of the UK and are now spreading west.
on September 6, 2018 at 4:56 am | Reply exploringcolour

I’m glad to be able to compare the two like this. They’re both so beautiful..its nice to know there was no aggression in this particular situation!
on September 6, 2018 at 6:38 am | Reply Arkenaten

That is a really good shot, Mike.

As golfer Gary Player once noted, the more he practiced the luckier he became!
- on September 6, 2018 at 12:25 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I think that Gary Player had it right. 🙂
on September 6, 2018 at 6:47 am | Reply chickenlittlecocoa

Dragonflies are amazing Critters. Didn’t realize they spend more of their life swimming in the water (as a nymph) than actually flying around. The joys of having a five year old boy. I know my bugs. (: Nice shot.
- on September 7, 2018 at 12:02 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  There is nothing like an inquisitive child–they are like sponges for learning things. At that age boys seem to love creepy-crawly things like insects and snakes.
on September 6, 2018 at 8:33 am | Reply Dan Antion

Quite a difference. If I were the little guy, I might be checking out of this spot.
- on September 7, 2018 at 12:00 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Yeah, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. 🙂
on September 6, 2018 at 12:32 pm | Reply Eliza Waters

Whew, that was close! 😉