Amberwing Dragonfly
I prefer to go camera stalking during early morning or late afternoon hours. Harsh mid-day lighting usually doesn't do the subject any favors. In this case, strong direct lighting made it easy to see where Louis Comfort Tiffany found his inspiration for his stained glass dragonfly designs.
Dragonflies are tough, but this one isn't *quite* as tough as it might look. The fence stay it's perched on was already bent sideways from several years of livestock abuse; it only looks as if the insect is hanging on for dear life.
On the other hand, this specimen has logged some serious mileage. One of the rear wings has a notch torn out of it, and he's trailing a strand of spider silk. Summer in the Ozarks isn't for wimps.
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