1. The female Aeshna juncea larva, a few weeks before it's emergence.
2. Time: 23.45 h. The Dragonfly hangs out of the larval case, head down. It has been hanging like that for half an hour.	3. Detail of the dragonfly, hanging down from the larval case.
4. Time: 0.30 h. The dragonfly climbs out of the case and starts pumping blood into the wing veins...	5. ...which makes the wings stretch. (time: 0.35 h.)
6. Time: 0.38 h.	7. Time: 0.42 h.
8. Time: 0.45 h. The wings are about ready now. But the abdomen needs stretching as well.	9. Time: 1.15 h. The abdomen is almost done now. The dragonfly's exoskeleton and wings have to harden.
10. Time: 4.30 h in the morning. The new-born dragonfly spreads it's wings. First fligh takes place in almost complete darkness, on 5.15 h, from the stick to the curtain behind it. Distance: 20 cm.
Aeshna juncea (female), before, during and right after emergence.
English name:	Common Hawker
Dutch name:	Venglazenmaker
Photos taken in a bowl with some water and stones (larva), somewhere in May 1999, and in my bedroom in Gouda (the other photos), on the 15th of June 1999

Note: these pictures (except for the one of the larva) were made with flash, as the emergence took place at night. A lot of stress was involved: at the moment I discovered that the larva was about to emerge (it had actually already climbed out of the water), I ran for my camera, found that I had no film and no camera batteries. My father found an old slide film of his, of witch the expiration date was 1989! I had no choice but to use that one, and I could only hope it was still okay (witch it was). And finally we found just enough batteries in the remote controls of VCR and TV. At the end of the night, all of them were near empty. By the time I was ready to take pictures, the emergence was already taking place. I've learnt my lesson: I always have enough slide film and batteries now for cases like these!

The larva was caught on the 27th of March, 1999, in the Zwartven, NB, The Netherlands. The emergence took place on the 15th of June, 1999. The dragonfly has been released in the morning.

Emergence started at 23.00 h and ended (with the spreading of the wings) at about 4.30 h in the morning. I didn't sleep all night, but it was worth being tired!!!