Of the many different dragonflies currently zooming about the fields and parks, this one is one of the smaller dragonflies, called "shiogaratonbo" or translated as "salt pattern dragonfly" though it's English language name is White Tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum ablistylum speciosum). This is a rather common dragonfly and can be found from Central Europe through to Japan.
I do quite like that the viens of the wings are visible and in sharp focus, it really brings how the wings are stiff in some places and more flexible in others, allowing for very specific deformations as the dragonfly flies.
The attachment points of the wings are visisble too. Interestingly, dragonfly wings are directly acted on by the muscles within the thorax, while this makes each wing beat slower it is also much more precise, allowing hovering and even backward flight with ease.
Fly wings in contrast are hinged to two points on the exoskeleton and move up and down as the thorax itself is compressed by muscles attached to the hard outer plates of the thorax.
For more about insect flight and perhaps an easier to understand explanation: Insect Flight (wikipedia). These are two of the features that help them be extremely successful arial hunters! I do so wish them luck as they devour mosquitoes!
If the weather cooperates, I'll try to get some more pictures of dragonflies at the nearby rice fields. Hopefully, the dragons eat more mosquitoes than mosquites eat me!
Comments and questions are always welcome! I hope you enjoyed the post!
