A friend and I were scouting for macro subjects to photograph when we spotted an uncommon damselfly at a distance. It was perched on a large Colocasia plant growing at the edge of a small pond. Closer inspection revealed not one damselfly, but a whole swarm of them! It was the stunning Sapphire-eyed Spreadwing (Lestes praemorsus).

Most of the leaves had multiple pairs of damselflies laying eggs on them. They appeared to be in a breeding frenzy! The male clasped the female behind her head, while she rhythmically deposited the eggs just under the upper epidermis of the leaf in a zig zag fashion. Each microscopic incision in the leaf was sealed off with an orange-coloured fluid oozing out along with the eggs. The excess fluid was randomly deposited on the leaves, as seen in the photograph.

When the female was done laying a set of eggs she would beat her wings and the male would immediately take to the air with the female still in his clasp, only to land on a nearby leaf and begin laying the next set of eggs. Gradually all the pairs separated and vanished from sight, leaving behind only the scarred leaves and the microscopic inhabitants inside to tell the tale.