Dragonfly

Description:

A dragonfly teneril emerges from its shuck on the Elandspad River in the Western Cape of South Africa. First pulling free of the shuck, then turning into the wind to prevent it being blown away whilst inflating its wings and finally growing larger and larger until it would never fit back into the packet from which it emerged. Over the next day or two it will gain its classical metalic colouration and be a mature adult.

Habitat:

Clear mountain stream headwater.

Notes:

The emergence of such insects leaves me baffled by the complexity. How does an insect that has known nothing but an aquatic life understand to turn into the wind. Or indeed even know what wind is?