Nigella damascena
(Love-in-a-mist)

Nigella damascena is an annual garden flowering plant, belonging to the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. It is native to southern Europe north Africa and southwest Asia, where it is found on neglected, damp patches of land.

The specific epithet damascena relates to Damascus in Syria, while the plant's common name "love-in-a-mist" comes from the flower being nestled in a ring of multifid, lacy bracts (very well visible in this photo).

It can grow up to 50 cm

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Jasione montana
(Sheep's-Bit)

According to the catalogs this flower is quite common in the zones of Italy where I usually photowalk, but actually this is the first time I saw it (or, at least, the first time I noticed it).

Wikipedia says it is found in the north temperate zone of Europe, west Asia and north Africa. It is a plant growing on heaths and moors in rocky or sandy districts, coastal cliffs, quarries and natural escarpments where the soil is thin.

It blooms from May to September

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Orthetrum albistylum
(White-tailed Skimmer)

I could say this species of dragonfly is actually quite diffident and hard to be approached; I saw it few times but I never could get a photo good enough for publication.

By the way, I have seen this specimen on a plant in the middle of a pond, around 2 meters from the shore. To get this photo I removed the camera strap and, with my foot at the extreme border of the pond, I extended my arm as far as I could (with a consistent risk to drop my camera in the water). Anyway I'm glad at least I could get a couple of decent photos.

To add some information I could say that Orthetrum albistylum is a dragonfly species with paleartic distribution. It occurs from central and south Europe to central to China, Korea and Japan (where it seems particularly abundant). So I guess many of you had the chance to see it.

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Cupido Argiades
(Short-tailed Blue)

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Platycnemis pennipes
(White legged damselfly, female)

Platycnemis pennipes is a damselfly of slow-flowing, muddy waters. It occurs from the Atlantic to Siberia and is often abundant throughout its range.

Unlike the adult male, that shows a very bright blue body, the female is a very pale yellow-green colour with black markings. Mature adults can be recognized from most other damselflies not only because they have a very nice facial expression (other damselflies always look angry) but also by the white edges to the tibiae, well visible in this photo.

It is usually around 3 cm long.

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