This morning I was very fortunate to get a few good shots of an Erythemis vesiculosa (Great Pondhawk Dragonfly) in my garden. There is no water feature in my garden, but this gorgeous green creature decided to visit anyway. This reminded me of my childhood when we always called dragonflies by the name "snake doctor." I never knew what that meant and never questioned it...until today. According to Phillip S. Corbet in Dragonflies: Behavior and Ecology of Odonata, the term "snake doctor refers to a folk belief that dragonflies follow snakes around and stitch them back together if they are injured." I do remember being told as a child that if "snake doctors" were around, then there were surely snakes nearby. Good reason to avoid them, huh. Fortunately I have put away childish ideas and can now revel in the beauty of these occasional visitors to my garden.
Great Pondhawk Dragonfly
(click to enlarge)
Hey, I saw you take that pic while I was treadmilling to Led Zep's Physical Graffiti and imagining that I was walking on water.
ReplyDeleteThese guys are out in the middle of nowhere. Was in Browns Park again and although there were not as many as last time there are still a lot. Not many different varieties.
ReplyDeleteDragonfly's I saw in West Africa could do and did end over ends. Ours don't at east I've never seen it.
A couple let me get some shots yesterday but I'm using my old laptop. Have a new mac laptop but can't get my picture program in there. It's hard to judge pictures.
Can you recall the name of the plant the dragonfly sits on?
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