14th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
A MALE GROUND SKIMMER DRAGONFLY GUARDS HIS MATING TERRITORY

A male Ground Skimmer dragonfly poses on a water lily while defending its territory from other males of his species. Every now and then, the males would dart off to chase away potential competitors and then return to their perch. Dragonfly females are known to choose mates that provide the best egg laying locations. Here, it happened to be a shallow pond with water lilies; perfect setting for a portrait too!

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 11.2016
Date Uploaded: 11.2016
Photo Location: Mumbai, India
Camera: NIKON D5100
Copyright: © Rizwan Mithawala