The flying dragonfly is representative of a relatively small part of the insects life. Without getting technical, mainly because I can't, the egg is laid by mummy and daddy (actually mummy, that bit I do know). It hatches and after much messing about ( I could use the word metamorphosis but can't spell it) changes into the bug in the water. After a sometimes lengthyperiod of time, enjoying themselves by eating smaller bugs they get the urge to leave the water.
One fine morning when the temperature is right, the bug (sorry Chris) hoiks itself up a reed stem and gets busy. The back of the bug splits and out climbs a soft, unformed version of the flying insect. Over a couple of hours it uses the suns heat to unpack, pumping bug fluid around its veins and becoming somewhat bigger than its former self. The wings too develop and eventually we have the chap itself. At this stage it is hard to ID the species but over a day or two the coloration comes and the wings stop looking badly varnished and become rather good.
The following sequence of images show this event taking place, sort of. The species is Sympetrum striolatum or Common Darter and I took the photos over a few hours one morning back in England. I presume the insects in North America do exactly the same although perhaps those just over the border do a lot of clapping and cheering about it.
The final image shows another species Aeshna mixta, or Migrant Hawker, in a newly emerged stage. At this age they are very vulnerable and make a tasty snack for those with a taste for them.
These are digital slide copies and so not as good as today's purely digital images are, I'm sure you will get over it.
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