View Full-Size Image

 

The Percher Dragonfly is common to the Philippines and better known as the Ground Skimmer or Chalky Percher, because of its habit of perching on the ground, this beautiful, insect is rarely flying beyond 1 meter above the surface. The male Dragonfly has a blue to blue-grey body with a black part at the end of its tail, its eyes are blue. The female is greenish with black markings on the tailpiece; its eyes are green with red. They usually breed in rice fields, muddy puddles, swamps and pond edges. This sunlight-loving day flying longlegs rarely travel far from water, in which the females lay their eggs and the subsequent nymphs develop by predating other freshwater dwelling invertebrates and even small fish. Dragonflies feed by catching small insects, such as flies, on the wing and their strong jaws are well adapted for this job. © Images by Ronald de Jong. All rights reserved. For information: philippineimpressions@gmail.com