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[Image Description: Two pictures of a purple insect with a long thin body, very large eyes, and lace-like wings. The insect is sitting on something wooden. The first picture is a side-view of the insect. The second picture is taken at a three-quarters angle, to emphasize the insects eyes.]

I went to Acadia! It was an absolute delight of an adventure, except for the part where it turns out Acadian dragonflies are the least well-behaved dragonflies I’ve ever met. More on that later...

The *damselflies* on the other hand were quite responsive. This one in particular was more than happy to pose, so I could get some nice shots. Look at that purple! It’s most likely a subspecies of Variable Dancer (Argia fumipennis) called Violet Dancer. A perfect name!

Do check as full-size a version of this photo as you can, because *wow* is she a delight. I love looking at damselfly and dragonfly wings --they’re so delicate!

Photo Credit: I took this one at ACADIA! CC-BY-NC CitySpider 2018

#damselfly #cityspider photos #identified #insects #bugs (colloquial)#nature #cityspider #animals #variable dancer #violet dancer #Argia fumipennis #acadia national park #acadia #maine #northeastern usa #City Spider Does Nature

[Image Description: Three images of the same bug. In all three, they are close-up images of a large bug (about 2-3 inches long) clinging to the outside of a window screen. The first is a side view of the bug, where you can see its large greenish eyes and it’s grey-tan body. The second is a top view, where you can see more detail of the translucent wings, and the feathering of the antennae. The third is a view of it spreading its wings out as though it were about to fly, making them more obviously translucent.]

One of the best parts about being “that weirdo who likes bugs” is that gradually all your friends figure it out and then excitedly drag you over whenever they see a cool bug! Such was the case with this big beauty, in the midst of one of the late-night parties at Pinewoods camp. I didn’t even know the friend in question liked bugs, and after I took a bunch of pictures, we went inside to borrow a bug book and try and ID it.

(Any quality dance camp should have a number of reference books available, on the local flora and fauna. I’m trying to grow my own small collection as well, but it’s convenient to not have to carry the library with me.)

We were ten minutes of flipping through pages in, when my Adventure Buddy wandered over and glanced at the photo on my camera screen. “Oh, what a nice Eastern Dobsonfly!” (Corydalus cornutus) says he, and one flip to the correct section later, we’ve confirmed he’s right! It’s a female Dobsonfly, which my more recent research implies is capable of delivering a pretty nasty bite! I’m a little bummed I didn’t get a closer picture of her powerful mandibles...but then again, maybe I didn’t want to get *too* close!

There are varieties of Dobsonflies all over the world, some of which can grow to have as much as a seven or eight inch wingspan! They live a short life, about a week at most, and spend it trying to ensure the continuation of their magnificent species. I’m a bit disappointed I couldn’t spot a male Dobsonfly as well, as the gents have significant mandibles, long enough to almost be mistaken for another set of antennae!

Image Credit: I took this one! CC-BY-NC CitySpider 2018

#insect #cityspider photos #identified #bugs (colloquial)#nature #cityspider #animals #eastern dobsonfly #corydalus cornutus #pinewoods camp #massachusetts #northeastern usa #goals #City Spider Does Nature

[Image Description: A blue insect with a long thin body is centered in front of a background of a small river. There are a few ripples and leafs in the water, but mostly the background is blurred. The insect has big black eyes, and delicate, lace-like wings that are folded together above its back. The blue skin of the insect has some black stripes on it as well.]

One of the only things I *do* know about nature is the difference between dragonflies and damselflies. A dragonfly rests with its wings apart, laying horizontally open. A damselfly rests with its wings together, vertically above its back. So this is definitely a damselfly --the needle-like body is another good hint.

I used insectidentification.org to confirm the name of this beauty, since I’ve seen this kind of damselfly quite a bit. It’s a Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile). I saw her at Pinewoods camp, which is located near Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Photo Credit: I took this one! CC-BY-NC CitySpider 2018

#damselfly #cityspider photos #identified #insects #bugs (colloquial)#nature #cityspider #animals #familiar bluet #enallagma civile #pinewoods camp #massachusetts #northeastern usa #City Spider Does Nature

[Image Description: A spider is in the center of the photo. You can see strands of web around the spider, but the background is completely blurred. The spider is mostly a pale greenish colour, with almost translucent legs. There are three black stripes on the abdomen of the spider, and one black stripe on the head.]

Check out this absolute beauty of a spider! She was chilling out, just weaving her picture-perfect web and occasionally eating big ol’ bugs (photographic evidence of that coming later!)

I found a completely lovely website called insectidentification.org, and was scanning through the pictures of Massachusetts insects looking for interesting things when lo and behold, I found a snapshot of this sweetie. Which is why I can tell you she is a Venusta Orchard Spider (Leucauge venusta) and also just about the prettiest spider I’ve ever seen. She’s an orb weaver, who sits in the middle of her web and prays on anything unfortunate enough to fly in.

Photo credit: I took this one! CC-BY-NC, CitySpider 2018