Insect Picture of the Day

Click for larger version

When I went down to the creek, I expected to see tons of Argia vivida, the brilliant blue damselflies that are usually down there. This time, however, they were all the wrong color! The creek was positively heaving with red damselflies!

This is a male Hetaerina americana, which is latin for American, um, Hetaerina. The common name is “American Rubyspot Damselfly”. The name “rubyspot” comes not from the red overall coloration, but from the bright red spot on the wings. This happens to be a male damselfly. I would point out the cerci on the tip of his tail, which he uses to hold the female during mating, but I have tastefully blurred them out because this is a family-friendly website. (Oh, don’t look so disappointed. There is plenty of insectoid fanservice coming soon.)

Did you know that insects are covered in tiny hairs? They use them as tiny tactile sensors to detect wind and touch. Don’t believe me? Let’s have a closer look, then:

And you doubted me.