Before the sun had rose , we were on the road headed out to fish. Sunday morning was unlike most Summer days. Usually hot and humid. Only getting worse as the day progressed. Not this morning. It was cooler, the air was crisper, and there wasn't any humidity to be found. Just like a Spring day! On this trip, we weren't going far. Just a 10 - 15 minute drive. Destination: Jones Mill. Past Lake Catherine and down to the Ouachita River. We parked just feet from Remmel Dam. My husband unloaded the fishing gear and spread it out on the tailgate of the truck. I readied my camera and headed toward the bank, with Tim (my husband) fast behind me. First observation- most of the bank was still wet, but the river was low. Remmel Dam only had one gate open and the turbine was completely off. Fishing here in the past years has become a matter of luck. I went off in search of new photos and Tim cast his line. I did manage to get a shot of him before going. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I will let them tell the rest of this story.....

Howdy Ya All ! Today I'd like to share a few photos of flying insects I've shot in our area. I feel as if I am now obsessed with taking these kind of photos. As I go on a hunt for information and the identity of each insect, I am awed by what I learn, and how they look. Each is a creation designed to be delicate, yet engineered perfectly for their environment. To view these we must venture into the world of macro. For otherwise...a bug is just a little bug.

This is the underside of a Robber Fly. There are more than 7,000 species in the Asilidae Family. They are also called the "assassin fly" because they wait to ambush their prey (mainly insects) in flight. They are aggressive and will not back down from a fight. They can defend themselves by biting. They have  powerful sucking and sharp mouths. Some mimic the colors of a bumblebee.

Female Crane Fly- sometimes referred to as a Skeeter Hawk. There are 4,250 species, all feed on nectar!                             This is a type of Fly.

This is a Bee. Not a Bumble Bee, which has hair all over it's body. That hair is called Pile. The legs are covered with bars of hair used to transport pollen grains and nectar back to their hungry young. Here's an interesting fact: The Queen lays eggs, and depending on the need, she may allow them to be fertilised from a sac inside her body. Unfertilised eggs become males, fertilised become females and Queens.

Ladybug; This insect is not considered a true bug. There are 5,000 species, 450 native to North America alone. They are useful in our gardens because the eat aphids & scale insects. They produce and lay extra infertile eggs for their larvae to eat when they hatch.

Butterfly : Scientific name is Rhopalocera. The order of Lepidoptera which include Moths.
Some migrate over long distances to breed and procreate. They have even formed special symbiotic and parasitic relationships with social insects such as Ants( The ants protect the Pupal). The pupal are the last  of several stages of morphing they do before becoming a Butterfly or Moth. Their wings are made of scales that produce the colors.

The Moth is in the same family and order as the Butterfly.

The Fly ! The common house fly makes up 91% of all flies in human habitations.
They can carry serious diseases. The female can lay 500 eggs in several (75-150) batches.

Robber (Assassin) Fly

The Moth is mainly seen at night around lights. The Butterfly is mainly a day-flying insect.

The Cicada come out every 17 or 13 years depending upon the species. There are 2,500 different species. They are harmless to humans as they feed on sap. They are harmful to trees because this is where the female lays her eggs deep in the branches. They are eatable with the females being meatier.

The Misquito has been branded the most dangerous animal on the Earth.
 It is able to transmit diseases such as Malaria, Yellow Fever and Filariasis.

Today I'm going to share my Dragonfly and Damselfly photos with you, along with some basic information about the Dragonfly. I will also be adding a couple of links (if the blogger will allow it).
             Evolving nearly 300 million years ago the Dragonfly (scientific name: Anisoptera) are insects belonging to the order of Odonata. It has 2 multifaceted eyes that are composed of up to 30,000 individual lenses. The hindwing is broader than the forewing. They have 6 legs, like all insects, but most cannot walk well. Look the same as the damselfly with a few differences. One being that they cannot rest their wings on their body. At rest their wings are slightly lowered and forward. They are the fastest insect in the world with recorded speeds up to 60 MPH. These insects are very important to our environment as they eat mosquitos, flies, ants, wasps, and the occasional butterflies creating a much needed balance. They live around Marshlands and other bodies of water because their offspring (larvae) known as nymphs are aquatic. 5,680 different species are known to inhabit our world. Their enemies ? Birds, lizards, frogs, spiders, fish, water bugs, and even other larger Dragonflies. Want to learn more about them? Here are a couple links so you can investigate yourselves.  http://animals.pawnation.com/interesting-dragonflies-4480.html      AND      
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonfly       I think you will be amazed by how complex they really are.

Dragonfly hunting around my storage shed

Dragonfly

First photo of a dragonfly this close up

Damselfly: These are easy to recognize. They have 2 separated eyes.

Dragonfly (side view)

Back view of  Dragonfly

Frontal view of Dragonfly

This is a Broad-Bodied Chaser Dragonfly

I think this may be a Yellow Striped Hunter

Damselfly

Keeping one eye on me & the other is looking for prey

This Dragonfly returned 3 nights in a row to hunt

First Dragonfly photo taken. Been in love with them ever since

Notice the differences from a Dragonfly?
The eyes are separate from each other.
They are capable of laying their wings flat.
Their wings are much smaller in size  and all their wings are the same size. A Dragonfly has larger forewings.
A Dragonfly is so complex that it can fly frontwards, and backwards. They have muscles attached to each wing.
This allows them to move each wing individually!



Next Post will show some of the other flying insects native to our State....ARKANSAS !