Becoming a damselfly. When it is time for the final metamorphosis, the nymph climbs out of the water and climbs onto a blade of grass where it emerges from its old skin and emerges as a dragonfly. Before it can fly away, it needs to dry and harden its wings. As it does so, the body and wings darken.
Sometimes you look at very different things when you name species. In Swedish, this dragonfly is called 'Guldtrollslända' (Gold dragonfly), which can be quite apt when you see it fly by and the sun hits its metallic sides. The English name 'Downy emerald' is at least as apt when you get up close and see the almost downy body. Regardless of the name, it is an exciting challenge to get sharp pictures of it when it seems to move randomly and jerkily above the surface of the water.
The sun has just risen when this emerald damselfly greets the new day from the top of a straw.
