And three’s a crowd. A red damselfly pair who were ‘company’ appeared none-too-pleased when more males turned up. Maple Glen Garden, Glenham, Southland. New Zealand. 31 Jan 2021.
Click on any photo to enlarge (various sizes).
By The Pond
They flared their wings and body if another male came near.


Didn’t get much peace either .. two others flying nearby.

Interloper lands above.

Interloper lands below.

Meanwhile on the far side of the pond, another couple.
More discreet.
(best viewed large)

And just for fun .. a blurry shot of a couple, coupled in flight.

Text and photos by Liz; Exploring Colour (2021)
I can never quite get over the feeling of being a voyeur when observing activity like this, but I can’t look away either. 🙂
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I felt lucky it was the ‘reds’ mating time – I don’t think I could have got a shot of them otherwise. The blues were more inclined to stop and perch sometimes.
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Different species behave in different ways (and often are found in different habitats). That is part of what makes it so cool to look for them and photograph them.
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At least people have the good sense (usually) to do it in private.
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Males of many species, not just damselflies or insects, often try to move in on the mating action. Frogs do it often. Some species of insects even have a way of causing the female to reject the sperm of a previous mating partner to supplant with their own. Nice series of observations, Liz.
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Fun post, Liz, and how neat to see so many of these damselflies together.
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I’d no idea there was anywhere down south here where I could see lots of damselflies! Happy 🙂
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Oy, we’re busy go away! LOL!
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hehe 🙂
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