Mnais pruinosa

Characteristics

A shiny emerald green damselfly. Some have orange wings and some have colorless wings. Thin wing veins run parallel from the root to the tip of the wing. As the male matures, the color of the body becomes white and powdery. Females are bright green with white stripes on the wing margins.

It is a close relative of the Japanese river dragonfly and is very similar, but the Asahina river dragonfly is slightly smaller.

Ecology

From around April, they appear in valleys between mountains. Fly around watersides, feeding on small insects. Males hover and court females and breed in the summer. Larvae spend 1-2 years in water before becoming adults.

Habitat

I photographed an Asahina river dragonfly flying along the Kobotoke River in Takao, behind Hachioji City. There were many dragonflies and butterflies along the quiet river, but this dragonfly was especially beautiful. Many individuals had just emerged, and the green color of their bodies had a metallic luster.