Day 173 > Winged Assassin / Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly

I again went in search of the wild iris this morning but once again my intended subject for the daily photo was not to be. As I walked the trail through a soggy lowland area bordering the creek in the Baird Creek forest, I was once again assaulted by droves of hungry mosquitoes but soon realized that today I was not alone...I had an ally!
Flitting like iridescent blue/black butterflies above the undergrowth of ferns, Marsh Marigold and Skunk Cabbage leaves were numerous Ebony Jewelwing Damselflies. Like dragonflies, this is a predatory insect that hunts other small insects and on this day they were making a feast of the plentiful mosquitoes. As I zoomed in close on several of the damselflies I actually watched them eating their prey!
In this photo I captured one of the insects stretching it's wings.