Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens, male) (3)

Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens, male) (3)

Demoiselles are difficult to photograph. They are extremely shy and have excellent eyesight.

Their huge, protruding eyes have as many as 28,000 individual facets. Each of these tiny facets faces a different direction and each produces an image. The insect brain puts all of the images together to form a picture. With these powerful compound eyes, they are able to spot their prey, such a mosquito or gnat, from as far away as 30 meter!

As soon as one comes nearer than 2 meters they usually fly off. For a photograph like this one needs a fair bit of luck, a lot of patience and a moment of dead calm.

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