Libellules.





°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°               °                                                                                                                                                                                                           

April 2009 


9 April



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Brunettes' springtime. (I)

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Sun, heat, no wind and over water, on the water, leaves and branches, the Common Winter Damselfly or Brown Emerald Damselfly [Sympecma fusca -Zygoptera-Lestidae] (Leste brun), lays. Concentrated in their task, the Gerris (Pond skater) surprised at its mounted on the rod, do not disturb them.

Only species to spend the winter at the adult stage, at the first fair days they mate and lay eggs in the twigs, stems, branches and floating debris.


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Most often its sits with the wings folded along the abdomen.

Also called "Brunette hivernale" because of its bark brown colour and its ability to wintering at imago stage.

It spent the winter as an  adult hiding "at land" under a bark, a stone or a rod in a meadow, a bush.

For all other Odonata it is the eggs or larvae that go through the winter.

Eggs will hatch 3-4 weeks later.





(02-060409)


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

10 April


Brunettes' springtime. (II)
Portrait...


.Common Winter Damselfly or Brown Emerald Damselfly [Sympecma fusca -Zygoptera-Lestidae] (Leste brun)

Little Damselfly (3-4cm) in shades of chocolate brown, it is difficult to find when it is in the dry grass prairies. At this time of breeding they are easier to see.

Clear body punctuated with grim torpedo-shaped marks.


(Males)

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Wings along the body, the long brown pterostigmas of the hind and fore wings do not overlap.








.At this time of mating, brown emerald damselflies are darker than in summer because they are older individuals as they where born before the winter and they display pretty blue spots behind the eyes.

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A right, autumn female with metallic torpedo-shaped marks on a clear body and brown eyes (September 2008).







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Two dark stripes on the thorax. Strait line for the upper band.













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At left a male and a female held by the male.


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Spawning

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Ovipositor of the female. Spawning takes place here under the water and in the plant that the female pierces to introduce its egg.




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Brown emerald damselflies will live this spring just the time to spawn. When laying is over, they disappear.








(Photos 02-060409)



                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
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