Asian bluetail (Ischnura asiatica) アジアイトトンボ（亜細亜糸蜻蛉）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Something makes you always feel happy, doesn't it? One such thing for me is this dragonfly, the Asian bluetail (Ischnura asiatica). The bright blue tip of the tail is so beautiful. Asian bluetails are common in Japan but because of their thinness, you wouldn't be able to find them so easily.  

2026/8/20

Meadowhawk (Sympetrum) 赤とんぼ 「夕焼け小焼けの♬」

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

There are about 20 types of meadowhawk (Sympetrum) in Japan and they're all called "red dragonflies." And I believe that these photos are of two of them; noshime dragonfly (Sympetrum infuscatum) and crimson dropwing (Trithemis aurora). 

Red dragonflies are so popular in Japan that they have a song for children titled "Red dragonfly," which is very famous. 

If you're interested in blue dragonflies, read the following posts: Blue-tailed forest hawks and White-tailed skimmers.

2026/7/30 Noshime dragonfly (Sympetrum infuscatum)

ノシメトンボ（熨斗目蜻蛉）

White-Tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum Albistylum) シオカラトンボ（塩辛蜻蛉）

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White-tailed skimmers (Orthetrum albistylum) are found across Asia and Russia. Males and females can be distinguished by color. Males are bluish while females are yellowish. The thing is young males are also yellowish, which makes it difficult to distinguish young males from females. 

White-tailed skimmer dragonflies are called "shiokara tombo" in Japanese, which translates into "salty dragonfly," after their white powdery substance developed on their abdomen.

2026/7/26  Female

2022/8/13  Male

Panicled Hydrangea (Hydrangea Paniculata) ノリウツギ（糊空木）

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The panicled hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) is native to east Asia and can be found across Japan. The hydrangea look to me resembling oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), so I often mistook the latter for panicled hydrangeas and this is my first time seeing the panicled one still in bloom. 

The panicled hydrangea's Japanese name is "nori utsugi," which translates into "glue Deutzia," after their inner bark being used before to make a natural adhesive for washi, i.e., Japanese paper, and their stems resembling those of Deutzia. 

2026/7/15

Blue-Tailed Forest Hawk (Orthetrum Triangulare Melania) オオシオカラトンボ（大塩辛蜻蛉）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is a blue-tailed forest hawk (Orthetrum triangulare melania). The dragonfly can be found across Japan from June to September. Its blue gray body is so beautiful that I wanted to photograph it from above and side, but couldn't. That's a big difference from photographing plants, which don't move unless it's windy so you can come back the following day but which also makes the moment more memorable. 

Like blue skimmers, female blue-tailed forest hawks are not blue but yellow.

2025/7/1

Female Scarlet Skimmer (Crocothemis Servilia) ショウジョウトンボ（猩々蜻蛉）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is a female scarlet skimmer (ruddy marsh skimmer or Crocothemis servilia), or so I believe. In contrast to its name, the dragonfly is not scarlet because it's female. Only male scarlet skimmers are scarlet and each has a territory around a pond. I should find a pond first to see a really "scarlet" scarlet skimmer.  

A female scarlet skimmer　ショウジョウトンボの雌

Yellow Damselfly (Ceriagrion Melanurum) キイトトンボ（黄糸蜻蛉）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

It resembles an Asian bluetail (Ischnura asiatica) but the body color is different. The Asian bluetail is blue while this one is yellow green. This is a yellow damselfly (Ceriagrion melanurum). Asian bluetails and yellow damselflies are both difficult to find because they're so thin. While blinking after taking these photos, I lost sight of it.

Yellow damselfly (Ceriagrion melanurum)　キイトトンボ（黄糸蜻蛉）