Dragonfly with fashion sense

Photo by Mary Lynn Potter

He sat on the lavender in our backyard as if he were posing for us, while we took several pictures of him.

--Mary Lynn Potter

Wikipedia:

There are about 3,000 extant species of dragonflies. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threatens dragonfly populations around the world.

Swarming dragonflies could be responding to a high mosquito populations, but they also eat several fly species. It’s best to let dragonflies be; they’ll eat up pests, and they’re fun to watch while they do it.

Scientific name: Anisoptera

Lifespan: 7 - 56 days (Adult).