The Photography of Gerard Pas

Gerard P. Pas thought's on Odonata

The difference between Dragonflies and Damselflies

On Gossamer Wings, these wonderful creatures both fascinate me and make me celebrate life in the seeing of them. Perfect in their evolution they have inhabited the earth for millions of years without much change in their exquisite beauty. As a photographer they are not only a challenge and a pleasure to photograph but being near lots of them has the additional reward of not having many pesky bugs pestering you as the Dragons/Damsels have dispatched of them.
I love these astonishing insects in all forms of art throughout the centuries, right back to the amazing fossils that show them almost as they are today living fossils. GP

I’d like to dedicate this gallery to my loving wife Maria Pas and here passion for Art Noveau and Art Deco who where inspired and utilized these creatures in their art forms.

Dragonflies and Damselflies belong to the order Odonata.

Damselflies are typically smaller than Dragonflies. Damselflies hold their wings at rest folded together above their bodies or held slightly open above the torso (spreadwings), whereas most dragonflies wings are fixed perpendicular to their body, horizontally or occasionally slightly down and forward when perched (at rest). There are a few other distinctive characteristics between the two. The back wing of the dragonfly broadens near the base, while the back wing of the damselfly is similar to the front wing. The eyes on a damselfly are apart; in most dragonflies the eyes touch. This can be easily seen below when viewing the photographs.

Galleries have been organized into wings, each reflecting a different aspect or decade of Gerard's Work






Please click any of the above images to advance to the Gallery-Wing for that decade