Can dragonflies smile? It sure looked like this male Great Blue Skimmer dragonfly (Libellula vibrans) was flashing me a toothy grin when I spotted him last Friday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Perhaps it was just my imagination, running away with me.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
It does look like it’s smiling 😊
When you’re smiling, the whole world smiles with you… 🙂
💯😊
Charming post and awesome photo. I was imagining insects posing for photos! Great post. Thank you.
Thanks, Suzette. On certain occasions, insects have been so cooperative with me that it really did feel like a portrait shoot. They would strike a pose, hold it long enough for me to get a shot, and then move to a different pose.
Nice Mike! I do believe they like being photographed! And they just automatically smile for you!
Awesome Photo I love dragonflies
🤣 Sure does!
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Wow! The extraordinary details of a dragonfly you capture are simply incredible, Dragonfly Whisperer.
Thanks, Laura. Sometimes a dragonfly will let me get close and if they are cooperative, I will definitely move in. Every now and them one will perch on me and then it’s a challenge to contort my body to get a shot. Here is an example from a few years ago. https://michaelqpowell.com/2015/11/27/perched-on-me/
Yes it does look like a smile… and great colour!
Thanks, Chris. One of the coolest thing is that this dragonfly, the Great Blue Skimmer, is one of our most common ones, so I get to see smiles everywhere. 🙂
Fabulous photo, Mike! They do look like they are smiling sometimes 🙂
The eyes are beautiful.
I am totally fascinated by the spectacular compound eyes of dragonflies. All of those tiny facets make the eyes seem to glow at times. 🙂
Where would we be without the gift of imagination? I shudder when I try to imagine. And who’s to say that it’s not really (yes, really!) a smile?