Detail of a Male Beautiful Damselfly, also Known as Demoiselle Agrion (Calopteryx virgo) Resting on a GrassFlower Beside the River Torridge.
Image details
Contributor:
John Insull / Alamy Stock PhotoImage ID:
RRD3EYFile size:
51.3 MB (2 MB Compressed download)Releases:
Model - no | Property - noDo I need a release?Dimensions:
5184 x 3456 px | 43.9 x 29.3 cm | 17.3 x 11.5 inches | 300dpiDate taken:
29 June 2015Location:
Great Torrington, Devon, England,More information:
This is a male Beautiful Damselfly (Calopteryx virgo) is also know as Demoiselle Agrion Damselfly. It has beautiful metallic wings. The males rest on bank side trees and vegetation waiting for females beside small fast-flowing rivers. They are fiercely territorial and chase off passing insects, often returning to the same perch, fluttering their wings in a courtship display to attract females. The adults are mainly seen at peak hatching time from late May to Late June but can also be found at any time from late April to the end of September. The majority of their life is spent in the larval stage beneath the water for six to nine weeks. They are predatory, feeding on other insect larvae such as mayflies, midges and stone flies. The larvae are sensitive to temperature change which affects their ability to absorb oxygen.