Damselflies and dragonflies are in congested flight patterns above our ponds now. Here you see one of the many blue damselflies, perhaps a bluet, perhaps even a Taiga (“TY-gah”) bluet (Coenagrion resolutum).:
Here’s a 12-spotted skimmer dragonfly (Libellula pulchella):
As you may know, the quick way to tell a dragonfly from a damselfly is to wait for the insect to land and see whether it holds its wings straight out from its body (dragon) or above and in line with its body, often closed together (damsel).
As for the origin of their names, the word dragonfly reportedly was inspired or influenced by the tale of the devil turning St. George’s horse into a giant flying, dragon-like, insect. Also possibly contributing was the Romanian word for the devil (“drac”) and the Romanian word for dragonflies, which translates to “devil’s horse” or “devil’s fly.”
I found no good explanation why damselflies were given that name. In English, a damsel is a young, unmarried woman. Perhaps these insects were named damsels because they generally are smaller and seem more delicate and innocent than their dragon cousins. (I do have a sordid hunch that the male nomenclature officials were aware that damselflies mostly keep their wings together when they sit.)
(Images taken in Brooklin, Maine on July 13 and 15, 2024.)