Sunday 8 May 2011

BEAUTIFUL NEW HYTHE DEMOISELLE


I spent half an hour again today searching the stream for a New Hythe Beautiful Demoiselle. I think I found two. I've pictured one of the little beauties above and below.





The weather was more suitable for damsels on the wing today, it was sunnier and less humid than it was yesterday. Some of them though had other things on their minds, like the pair of Blue Tailed Damselfies (i think) below.........................



.....................and this pair of Banded Demoiselles below, who were also intent on making sure there would be another generation waiting in the wings for next year.





Another species to put in an appearance was the Red Eyed Damselfly below. It was a bit of a distance shot but those eyes stood out like a sore thumb even in the bright light.





The sunshine also brought out a couple of Orange Tip butterflies, the male of which also had a certain basic instinct on his mind. I should have given this post an X certificate I think, don't let your kids see this!





I think she has made it quite plain that she wasn't in a 'romantic' mood but he chooses not to understand. He hovered above her with his undercarriage lowered...................




................... and with wings flickering and no doubt whispering sweet nothings in her antenna, he gently descended to try and change her mind.............




.................But the lady wasn't for turning, and he settled for a bit of nectar instead.


**Thanks to Marianne and Greenie for pointing out that the female Orange Tip was actually playing hard to get and rebuffing the males advances and not, as I first thought, the exact opposite. It's just as well i'm not a butterfly, I could get into real trouble if I was! I have now re-written parts of this post and re-classified it from an X certificate to a PG.**






6 comments:

Marianne said...

Oooh, lovely damsels! It's an enduring mystery of biology why the Odonata go through this wheel-forming rigmarole to mate when other insects manage with a much more straightforward arrangement.

As for the Orange-tips, an upraised abdomen usually means 'go away, not interested' in female butterfly-speak, though males tend to still keep trying...! If they stayed... um... attached for a while then it must have been a successful mating.

Greenie said...

Phil ,
Another great set of shots and well done finding the two male BDs .
Definitely a pair of Blue-tailed .
I have got to agree with Marianne , it was a case of 'no thanks' from the female . If she wants to mate , her abdomen stays flat and they would be joined for quite some time .

Phil said...

Hi Marianne/Greenie.
Thanks for that, it must be my fertile imagination, I thought it was over a bit quick! Though I must say, it looked like the real thing.

ShySongbird said...

Lovely photos Phil! I read the not so 'prim' version last night and the 'proper' version today ;) and they both made entertaining reading!

Dominique W. said...

Just beautiful!!! Love it!!!
http://dominiquew1985.blogspot.com/

Phil said...

JAN.
Thanks for your continuing kind comments.
I really do appreciate it!

DOMINIQUE.
I'm glad you like it. Thanks very much for visiting.