Haguro tombo, a harbinger of autumn

Photo, Phonon.b 

The first time I saw haguro tonbo, atrocalopteryx atrata, the black damselfly, was in late summer at a camp site in Ibaraki Prefecture. A whole field of these spooky black-winged creatures had descended, flitting about silently. Their black wings and bright green bodies are distinctive. They're a bit freaky, weightlessly dancing along the stalks of grass. 

They are most noticeable around August and September, usually on the edges of forests and water sources, but to my surprise, this morning, I spotted one in front of my local station. It was fluttering about in front of a convenience store. 

It's rare to see them in an urban setting around concrete buildings. Tough but ephemeral creatures. I'm glad I got to see one in such a busy area, as I don't have time to retreat to the countryside just now.