Dragons and Butterflies
Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella female green form.
Nikon D850, 200mm micro nikkor lens @ f/11, ISO 200.
June sees the emergence of many dragonflies and damselflies. There is a National Nature Reserve near my home, which I try and visit whenever I can in between other photographic commitments. It’s an excellent location for many species of dragonflies and damselflies. The Four-Spotted Chaser, Libellula quadrimaculata, Hairy Dragonfly Brachytron pratense along with several species of damselfly are commonly seen along the rides and around pools on this small cutover bog. June is also an excellent time to capture different colour phases of these superb insects as they go through the different colour transitions.
Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella female
Nikon D850, 200mm micro nikkor lens @ f/8, ISO 200.
Variable Damselfly Coenagrion pulchellum male
Nikon D850, 200mm micro nikkor lens @ f/11, ISO 200.
Many butterflies are also beginning to make an appearance. The Cryptic Wood White Leptidea juvernica is a recent discovery in Northern Ireland. It is almost identical to the Wood White and was initially described as Real’s Wood White Leptidea reali. However, recent genetic analyses have shown that it is a distinct species and the only Wood White found in Northern Ireland.
Cryptic Wood White Leptidea juvernica
Nikon D850, 200mm micro nikkor lens @ f/8, ISO 400.
Cryptic Wood White Leptidea juvernica