White-faced Darters (Leucorrhinia dubia) in Cumbria

July 2, 2011:
At a large raised peat bog in north Cumbria eight species of Odonata were seen today. These included White-faced Darters for which the site is well-known. There were at least twelve individuals flying over and around three adjacent small flooded peat cuttings. They were mostly males although at least one tandem pair was seen.






Even though the weather was very warm, immediately the sun went behind the clouds all activity ceased but resumed as soon as it reappeared. The Darters rarely strayed more than a few metres from the pools but would occasionally make short forays into the surrounding heather to perch. One or two seemed to have favourite perches and would also fly close to investigate what they presumably thought to be an intruder. A temporarily discarded blue pullover also appealed to one individual as a perch.


[Darter on blue pullover]

Other species seen here included Four-spotted Chasers, an Emperor, and five species of Damselfly: Common Blue, Azure, Blue-tailed, Large Red and Emerald. Large Heath butterflies were flying in the surrounding raised bog.


[Pair of Large Red Damselflies]


[One of the small flooded peat cuttings]

Southern Damselfly (Coenagrion mercuriale) in Oxfordshire

June 30, 2011:
The Southern Damselfly is of rare occurrence in Britain, known only from a few localities in Wales, the New Forest and the Oxford area. Despite this, Britain is thought to hold 30% of the world population. It has very strict habitat requirements: pools, springs and flushes in calcareous fens. It is a weak flyer and rarely strays from its breeding grounds and in consequence is slow to re-colonise new localities.



The males are most easily distinguished from the other 'blue' damselflies by the characteristic marking on the second segment of the abdomen. This is the mercury mark, so called because of it similarity to the horned helmet associated with the Classic god Mercury.



Today, four males, a tandem pair plus a possible teneral were seen in warm but only occasionally sunny weather. The fen also had a marvellous display of the orchid Marsh Helleborine (Epipactis palustris).






[Habitat at the site]


[Marsh Helleborine]

Small Red Damselfly and Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly in North Wales

June 11, 2011:
North Wales is home to several species of damselfly which are of restricted or otherwise southern distribution in Britain. Sites for two of these were visited today. One, near Pendrhyndeudraeth, is a beautiful small lake known to have a rich Odonata fauna of which the Small Red Damselfly (Ceriagrion tenellum) is a speciality. This species occurs in a limited area of the lake margin where it favours the rather unstable raised acidic bog. Today there were large numbers of Large Red Damselflies (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) flying and it took a long period of searching before two individuals of the Small Red were found.


[Small Red Damselfly, male, all red body and red legs, near Pendrhyndeudraeth]

They differ from the black-legged Large Reds in having a completely red abdomen and reddish legs and are also smaller and more delicate. Also flying here were Common Blue and Common Blue-tailed Damselflies as well as Four-spotted Chasers and Keeled Skimmers (photos below).

Later, I made a visit to a second small lake within this general area to look for Scarce Blue-tailed Damselflies (Ischnura pumilio). This was near Llanrwst, a known locality and another idyllic site. A delay due a puncture meant arrival here was very late in the afternoon and for a while nothing at all was seen but eventually some movement in the lakeside vegetation revealed a single male pumilio and later two orange immature females.


[Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly, immature female, aurantiaca phase, near Llanrwst]


[Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly, male, near Llanrwst]

The immature females are often very brightly coloured (forma aurantiaca) and therefore easily identified. The males though are much more difficult being very similar to the Common Blue-tailed (Ischnura elegans). It is best differentiated from this by having segment 9 of its abdomen coloured blue with only a little blue on segment 8 whereas segment 9 of the Common blue-tailed is black and segment 8 is blue. Consequently, a close view or a good photograph is necessary in order to be completely sure.



[Large Red Damselflies (note the black legs), near Pendrhyndeudraeth]


[Four-spotted Chaser, near Pendrhyndeudraeth]


[Keeled Skimmer, near Pendrhyndeudraeth]

A good day in Shropshire for Damselflies

June 4, 2011
Good warm sunny weather prompted a visit to Shropshire especially to look for White-legged, Variable and Red-eyed Damselflies. Localities near Atcham and Berrington were visited as these are places where all three are known to occur. White-legged Damselflies are nearing their northern limit here but neverheless are quite frequent amongst the dense bankside vegetation of the slow flowing River Severn. Many were seen today in various stages of maturing colour form but could be readily recognised by their distinctive white legs.


[The distinctive white legs showed up well]


[The chocolate brown pterostigmas are distinctive]





Below, two photos of an immature:




On a small pool near Berrington several Variable Damselflies were found, the distinctive ‘wine-glass’ shape on segment 2 helping to separate them from other Blues. Some of the males had the characteristic ‘exclamation mark’ bands on the thorax although this was not always the case as indicated in the common name.





[Variable Damselflies]

Male Red-eyed Damselflies staked out their territories on the lily-pads and were especially aggressive towards other males.




[Red-eyed Damselflies]

Blue-tails were also frequent as were Azures and Common Blues. Large Reds were present but not so common.


[Blue-tailed Damselfly, male]


[Azure Damselflies, pair]


[Common Blue Damselfly, male]


[Large Red Damselfly]

Altogether 10 species were seen including Banded Demoiselles, two Broad-bodied Chasers and a distant Downy Emerald.



[The pool at Berrington and the water-lily pads favoured by the Red-eyeds]

Large Red-eyed Damselflies in Cheshire

May 19, 2011:
Large Red-eyed Damselflies (Erythromma najas) have now emerged here. At this small pool at the north-western limit for the species in Britain, several males could be seen out in the centre of the water where they rested on floating pondweed. As soon as the sun emerged there was frenzied activity as the males defended their territories from intruders. Occasionally also, an ovipositing pair would be ‘buzzed’. When egg-laying in tandem, the female was totally immersed under the surface but protected by an envelope of air around her body. Today all remained at long range and made photography difficult. These are quite fast-flying insects which keep low down close to the water surface but are easily picked out by their striking bright red eyes.


[Male; the female totally immersed when egg-laying]



[Territorial males resting on pondweed]

This same sheltered pool had several other species of Odonata, especially damselflies, and was a haven for other wildlife as well. A group of resting Mallard ducklings added to the idyllic scene.

DRAGONFLY: Banded Demoiselles have emerged at Brockholes Wetlands

May 11, 2011:
Banded Demoiselles (Calopteryx splendens) are now flying here. Several males showing their beautiful metallic-blue colouring were resting in the long grass adjacent to the Meadow Pool reed beds. At this date there was no sign of the females which have browner wings lacking the dark banding and a greener thorax and abdomen.




[Males above, female below]