Category Archives: Odonata

dragonflies, damselflies

Dragonflies

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Lots of dragonflies (J: tombo) out and about yesterday as well. Here are two species of damselfly (smaller/thinner) and one true dragonfly.
The blue one looks like a ruler so in Japanese it’s called monosashi-tombo i.e. “ruler damselfly” (it’s a male). The brown one is a female monosashi-tombo. The one with black wings is called haguro-tombo i.e. “black-winged damselfly”. The final picture is an almost-impossible-to-photograph flying Golden-ringed dragonfly (J: oniyanma), which never seem to keep still.
monosashi-tombo = Copera annulata
haguro-tombo = Calopteryx atrata
oniyanma = Anotogaster sieboldii (probably)

Dragonfly: Anotogaster sieboldii

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Magnificent!! This is the largest species of dragonfly in Japan and, at 10cm long, it’s an impressive sight. This one was zooming around a clearing and it flew just above my head several times before settling on a remarkably convenient perch — convenient enough for me to sneak up and take lots of photos. I was amazed at how tolerant he was of me and I managed to get within about 50cm before he flew away. A few fly-bys later he settled back on the exact same plant so I took even more photos. I loved the way he cleaned his big green eyes with his forelegs — he’s got to keep his eyes clean to hunt on the wing.

Anotogaster sieboldiiAnotogaster sieboldiiAnotogaster sieboldiiAnotogaster sieboldii

Odonata: Cordulegastridae
Anotogaster sieboldii
golden-ringed dragonfly = oni-yanma

Location: Yokoyama Village near Munakata Common (Google map link)

Damselfly: Calopteryx atrata

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This species of damselfly is very common and I almost always see them when I’m walking in the local forests in summer. They gather in large numbers along the forest paths and it’s wonderful to see them flitting around with their dark wings and metallic green bodies. I think that’s one of my favourite sights in the summer. (I just wish I could stand still and watch them for longer BUT the damn mosquitoes prevent that!)

Calopteryx atrataCalopteryx atrata
Left = male; Right = female
Calopteryx atrata
The 3rd photo shows 7 or 8 of these damselflies sitting on leaves.

Odonata: Calopterygidae
Calopteryx atrata
Damselfly = haguro-tombo

Location: forest area near Ikeda Village in Munakata (aerial photo)
Map: Google map link

Epophthalmia elegans

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I sat for half an hour in the baking heat (35 degrees C today) trying to get photos of these dragonflies (oo-yama-tombo) as they zoomed past me! I took around 100 photos and the ones below were the best.

Link to information on this species: here

Epophthalmia elegansEpophthalmia elegansEpophthalmia elegansEpophthalmia elegansEpophthalmia elegansEpophthalmia elegans
Epophthalmia elegans

Odonata: Corduliidae
Epophthalmia elegans
= oo-yama-tombo

Location: Pond near Yamada Village in Munakata (google map)

Sympetrum eroticum eroticum

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Males are red and females are black and yellow. This specimen may well be a hybrid between S. eroticum and S. baccha matutinum. They commonly interbreed and this would explain the dark wingtips (found in S. baccha matutinum).

Sympetrum eroticum eroticum

Odonata: Libellulidae
Sympetrum eroticum eroticum
Dragonfly = mayutate-akane-tombo

Location: Fields/ponds next to Anzunosato Park near Tsuyazaki (Google map)