Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: SpecInsect

A pair of Black Meadowhawk dragonflies mating. Seen on a walk at Beaverdam Flats in the city. "A dragonfly has a life span of more than a year, but very little of that life is actually as an adult dragonfly. There are three stages of the dragonfly life cycle, the egg, the nymph, and the adult dragonfly. Most of the life cycle of a dragonfly is lived out in the nymph stage and you don’t see them at all, unless you are swimming underwater in a lake or pond with your eyes opened, of course.... Adult dragonflies only live about two months." From www.dragonfly-site.com/dragonfly-life-cycle.html . "The male has appendages at the end of its abdomen which help him to clasp the female, and the size and position of these clasps fits only the right species. He may either fly in tandem with the female or bring her down to a stationary position by clasping the back of her head. The male flaps his wings and flexes his abdomen to indicate readiness to which the female responds. They may even curl to make their abdomens meet, in which case they form a heart (also known as the wheel position). Once the sperm is transferred, the male may leave or remain attached to the female to make sure that she does not mate further and in some instances till she oviposits the eggs either on water or by depositing them in plants with the help of her sharp ovipositor." From www.blurtit.com .

I am always so thrilled to bits when, on the very rare occasion, I come across one of these gorgeous caterpillars. My youngest daughter has always loved these colourful caterpillars, too, so they always remind me of her. They grow to about 4 cm long. The first caterpillars are out by early August and last well into September. This species over-winters as pupae and, in Alberta, the very drab adults are flying in June and July. These Woolly Bear caterpillars turn into Spotted Tussock Moths.