These are the amazing pictures of two damselflies making the shape of a heart
as they mate.
Incredibly photographer Mark Bridger managed to capture the exact moment that
another insect tried to join the fun in an image that looks like an arrow
striking a heart.
The picture looks so much like the iconic image that amateur snapper Mark, 43,
has dubbed it 'Cupid's arrow'.
The married dad-of-one, from Kent, told how he took the pictures by accident
last summer.
He said: "I had a few hours before I had to be at work and I decided to go and
take some pictures of kingfishers at Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve.
"By the time I got to the reserve I was running late and I didn't have time to
take the pictures I wanted.
"I walked past these damselflies making a love heart shape and I decided to
photograph them instead.
"At one point another damselfly flew at them and I remember thinking that he
probably wanted to join in.
"It was only until that night when I was uploading the images on my computer
that I saw the third damselfly was making the shape of an arrow heading towards
the heart shape.
"It's quite amazing really.
"I showed my wife and she said, 'That's funny, it looks like Cupid's arrow'."
Damselflies are similar to dragonflies, but the adults can be distinguished by
the wings, which are held parallel to the body when at rest.
Before damselflies copulate, groups of males and females spend considerable
time in physical contact with one another in an attempt to assess their
potential mate.
Field studies have also shown that the females discriminate among males based
on their shape and size.
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