Ebony Jewelwing

Here's probably the first damselfly I learned to identify, the Ebony Jewelwing. They're pretty common in the places I go that are near water. Depending on the lighting, the males can look mostly black or have a metallic sheen (usually blue or green) like in the picture below. 

The females are black but lack the shininess. Like all damselflies and dragonflies, they're predatory. Though they'll sometimes stare straight at you, I can't believe they're sizing us up as a meal; I'm pretty sure they're watching us for their own safety.

May 28, 2021 at Duke Farms
Photo 133214083, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

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