Whixall Moss, Shropshire

June 11, 2014 at Whixall Moss

White-faced Darters at Whixall Moss, a well-know site for this scarce British species

Four-spotted Chasers were frequent here

Early season in South Cumbria; dragonflies, butterflies, and other invertebrates

May-mid June, 2013:
Quite a wide range of invertebrates finally emerged once the cold spring weather had abated. Some of those which were photographed are shown below.

Duke of Burgundy Fritillary

Northern Brown Argus

Emperor, female ovipositing

Four-spotted Chaser, female ovipositing

Beautiful Demoiselle, female

Chrysotoxum bicinctum, a hoverfly

Black-headed Cardinal Beetle (Pyrochroa coccinea)

Cryptocephalus sericeus, beetles

DRAGONFLY: Four-spotted Chaser at Foulshaw, Cumbria

May 23, 2010:
The period of good weather which benefited the butterflies also brought out the dragonflies. At Foulshaw on the main pool, dozens of Four-spotted Chasers were flying but were reluctant to settle or perch. Further on by the path near the platform there are some large stagnant puddles. Again the Chasers were frequent here, the males often conveniently settled on the surrounding vegetation and claiming territory and driving off intruders. At one large puddle a female repeatedly dipped down, its abdomen touching the water surface as it its layed eggs into the shallows.






Four-spotted Chaser

Also present here was the Azure Damselfly with its bright electric blue body. These were present in hundreds.


Azure Damselfly

The Large Red Damselfly was less frequent. It can easily be distinguished from its relative the Small Red by its black legs.




Large Red Damselfly