French Jura: Dragonflies

July 17-21, 2012:
The slow-flowing River Orbe at Bois d'Amont, 50 kilometres north of Geneva, has a good range of dragonflies and damselflies. Several male Downy Emeralds endlessly patrolled the riverside vegetation but were never seen to settle.

Downy Emerald, Bois d'Amont

River Orbe

White-legged and Variable Damselflies were also very frequent here as well as the commoner Large Red and Emerald Damselfies. Unfortunately, possible sightings of Dainty and Southern Emerald Damselflies were never satisfactorily confirmed.

White-legged Damselfly, Bois d'Amont

Variable Damselfly, Bois d'Amont

Well away from water in a woodland glade near Divonne-les-Bains, a beautiful Golden-ringed dragonfly perched on the vegetation. This was not a species which occurs in Britain but was the European Cordulegaster bidentata, much darker and with narrow pointed-ended rings around the abdomen.

Cordulegaster bidentata, near Divonne-les-Bains