You may be revealing your age if you answer this question, but how many of you remember the 1980’s television series Solid Gold that featured pop music and the Solid Gold Dancers? Somehow my mind made that connection to my distant past when I saw the water shimmering with a metallic glow in the background of these Dusky Dancer damselflies (Argia translata) that I spotted last Thursday as I was exploring a stream in Prince William County, Virginia.
What were they doing? The pair of Dusky Dancer damselflies was in tandem, with the male holding on to the female as she deposited eggs on the side of a stone in the stream. In some dragonfly and damselfly species, the male hangs on like this to ensure that no rival male prevents the female from ensuring that his genes are passed on. With some species of dragonflies, the male instead hovers overhead as the female dips the tip of her abdomen into the water to release eggs.
This was a somewhat challenging shot for me to take, because I had to get really low and position myself carefully to get both damselflies in focus. Dusky Dancers are only about an inch and a half (38 mm) in length, so I had to get relatively close to the couple, though my 180mm macro lens gave me a bit of stand-off distance so I did not feel too much like a voyeur.
If you have not heard of Solid Gold, here is a link to a You Tube version of the episode that aired on March 14, 1981. So many of the songs and other performances brought back sweet memories of the 1980’s. You may not want to listen to the entire episode as I did, but if you can, I recommend that you jump ahead to 31:57 of the You Tube video and listen to the live version of Dionne Warwick, the original host of the TV series, singing “What the World Need Now is Love.”
I still believe in the power of those words, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love, no, not just for some, but for everyone.” Those words for me are solid gold.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
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Amen to that! And I sure do remember the Solid Gold dancers. We used to watch it every week. Very interesting about the male dragonflies. Perpetuating the species is what it’s all about being it flora or fauna. Thank you again for an interesting post.
Thanks, Ann. This posting kind of went off on a tangent that I didn’t think about in advance. Quite often my blog posting is a reflection of what I am thinking and feeling at the moment I sit down and start typing.
Oh yes. I remember the Solid Gold dancers. And those song lyrics mean more today than they did 40 years ago.
Thanks for the post. Your photography skills amaze me!
Thanks, Michelle, for your kind words and your comments. I am a bit of an idealist and the current divisiveness in our society really concerns me. Some of the songs of my youth were cheesy and/or are cringeworthy now, but other ones remind me of my younger, more carefree days. Now that I have retired, I am rediscovering that feeling of freedom and my sense of wonder and curiosity.
Great photo, Mike, and you’re certainly right about that message being necessary today. I hope you have a great week.
Thanks, Dan. I try not to be overly preachy or political, but the polarization in our politics and society as a whole really bothers me. Have a wonderful week too, Dan.
Not preaching Mike. Observant!
Very nice image Mike! Enjoyed seeing it!
Fabulous capture, Mike! That shimmery amber water set those beauties off so nicely. And of course great to get that tandem position so clearly.
Thanks, Ellen. It is always cool to capture an image that has captures lots of wonderful detail in an kind of artistic way–I hope that makes sense. 🙂
You’re welcome, and I do know what you mean to have the elements come together. And to take advantage of what you see—which is not always the way it turns out 😜.