Anisoptera - Dragonflies
Sympetrum danae (28-34 mm; forewing 43-52 mm) Black darter Mature male is completely black with a swollen abdomen for the final third. Females and immature males are golden-yellow with black legs and a black triangle on the 1st abdominal segment. Dark pterostigma. Found in bogs and damp heaths from June to October. Image taken at Arne RSPB reserve, near Wareham, Dorset .
Sympetrum striolatum (25-30 mm; forewing ~30 mm) Common darter Commonest darter. Males have a brown thorax. Legs are black with a yellow stripe. Black head band in front of the eyes does not continue down the side of the eyes distinguishing this species from S. vulgatum. Thoracic sutures are marked black. Male is red, whilst the female and immature males are yellow-brown with dark marks at the end of the abdomen. Abundant and widespread from June to November near still and slow-moving water. Often seen perching on vegetation. Image taken at Trafford Centre, Manchester .
Orthetrum coerulescens (27-30 mm; forewing ~50 mm) Keeled skimmer Clear wing bases. The wings are held downwards at rest. Similar to O. cancellatum but has a yellow-brown pterostigma, is smaller and lacks the black tip to the abdomen. Thorax has pale stripes. Mature male abdomen is blue, the immature male resembles the female with a yellow-brown abdomen. Breeds in peat bogs and marshes from May to September. Remains close to the breeding areas. Local present in the south of the UK, absent from the north. Often rests on the ground. Image taken at Arne RSPB reserve, near Wareham, Dorset .
Libellula depressa (40-47 mm; forewing 74-78 mm) Broad-bodied chaser The wings are brown at the base. Broad abdomen is distinctive with yellow spots down the edges. Mature male abdomen is blue. Immature males and female have a yellow-brown abdomen. Found near well vegetated ponds and slow flowing streams from May to August. Nymph (~25 mm) is broad, flat, hairy with spines on the abdomen and hind legs that extend past the abdomen. Wanders widely and is common throughout the UK. Image taken at Powerstock Common, near Dorchester, Dorset .
Darting dragonflies possessing triangles of different shapes on the front and hindwings. Body is not metallic. Majority of UK species belong to the genus Sympetrum (final antenodal vein incomplete).
Large and more robust than damselflies. Very large eyes. Hindwings are broader than the forewings. Wings are held flat at rest, never brought together. Very strong fliers reaching 35-40 km/h, spending lengthy times on wing (hawkers) or darting out (darters) to hunt other flying insects; they can fly vertically and backwards. The males are territorial in defending their stretch of water. Often easiest to identify when resting on waterside vegetation or posts. Nymphs live in the water eating other waterlife; the nymphs can force water out of their rectums propelling them through the water; lacking gill lamellae the nymphs breath through the skin and gills in the rectum. Some species are migrant.
Calopteryx (Agrion) splendens (45-47 mm; wing span 60-70 mm) Banded demoiselle ( Banded agrion) Male has a metallic blue sheen. Male has dark band on the upper portion of the wings. Female has a green metallic body with greenish wings. Found from May to September near slow-moving neutral or calcareous muddy streams; most abundant June to July. Nymph (~40 mm) is long, slender; gill lamellae have dark bands and the middle gill lamella is shorter. Locally common in the UK. Image taken at Moors Valley Country Park, near West Moors . Images of male (top) and female (bottom).
Slender bodied insects with well separated eyes. Weak flying. Rest with wings closed above the body or partially opened. Adults don't acquire full colours until several days old. There are 17 species present in the UK. Useful identification features include eye colour, leg colour, pterostigma shape on wing, and the abdominal and thoracic pattern. The nymphs are long and slim with three gill lamellae at the tip of the abdomen. They can swim by keeping their legs close to the body and moving the gill lamellae from side to side producing a wriggling motion. Damselflies mate on plants in a copulation circle. The eggs are laid in water or inserted into plant stems.
Ischnura elegans (30-33 mm; wing span 33-37 mm) Blue-tailed damselfly Predominately black abdomen is interrupted at the 8th segment by a brilliant blue flash - sometimes grey in the female. The pterostigma is bicoloured and oval. Found near still water including brackish and polluted ponds from May to September. Abundant and widespread. Nymph (~20 mm) possesses long, slender. pointed gill lamellae with a fine network. Image taken at Moors Valley Country Park, near West Moors . Images of male (top) and female (bottom).
Coenagrion puella (30-35 mm; wing span 32-46 mm) Azure damselfly Male has U-shaped black mark at the front of the abdomen (2nd segment) and 'crown' on the 9th segment. Female is mainly black with some green on the thorax and blue at the abdomen tip. There is no spine under the abdomen. Found from May to September near still or slow-moving water with plenty of vegetation. Abundant and widespread, though absent from the far north. Image taken at Broadcroft Quarry, Isle of Portland . Images of male (top) and female (bottom).
Enallagma cyathigerum (30-33 mm; wing span 36-40) Common blue damselfly Commonest damselfly. Male identified from 'ace of spade' mark at the front of the abdomen. Female is green and black with a prominent spine under the 8th segment - may be a drab colour variation. Common around a range of still and slow moving waters with floating vegetation from May to October. Nymph (~20 mm) has short gill lamellae with up to 3 narrow bands. Image of drab female taken at Swillbrook Lake, Cotswold Water Park .
Ceriagrion tenellum (~30 mm; wing span 30-40 mm) Small red damselfly Red legs with completely black thorax. Female abdomen is predominately black, males is red. Found in acidic bogs, wet heathland and marshes from May to September. Local in the south of the UK. Image taken at Arne RSPB reserve, near Wareham .
Lestes sponsa (35-38 mm; wing span 42-46 mm) Emerald damselfly Abdomen and thorax are metallic green in both sexes. Mature male has blue patches at the front and tip of the abdomen. Large pterostigma (three times longer than broad). Found from June to September near well vegetated still waters. Rests with its wings partially open at 45 degree angles. Nymph (~27 mm) has slender gill lamellae with dark bands. Common and widespread. Image is of a male taken at Arne RSPB reserve, near Wareham .
Pyrrhosoma nymphala (34-37 mm; wing span 45-50 mm) Large red damselfly Black legs, red thoracic stripes and larger size distinguish this species from C. tenellum. Female more heavily marked with thoracic stripes often yellow. Found near slow moving streams and still water such as ponds, brackish ditches and acidic bogs from April to September. Nymph (~19 mm) has short, pointed gill lamellae with 'X'-shaped marks. Not present in the extreme north. Image taken at Bentley Wood, near Salisbury .
Mainly found in the tropics, two species reside in the UK. Bodies are metallic. Lack a pterostigma - reduced to a small white patch in females ('false pterostigma'). Males have dark banded wings.
Large family, best distinguised by the thoracic and abdominal patterns. Many species have pale blue bodies with black markings.
Small family with two species present in the UK. Pterostigma is elongated. Body is generally metallic, usually green. Males have claspers - strongly curved.
Large hawking dragonflies. Eyes meet at a point in both males and females. Hind-wing base is distinctive of the sex being angular in the male and rounded in the female. Female lays eggs in shallow streams by inserting the large ovipositor into the silt.
Cordulegaster boltonii (72-83 mm; wingspan 88-104 mm) Golden-ringed dragonfly Distinctive abdomen with gold banded rings that are incomplete. Triangle behind the eyes is yellow; green eyes. Black legs with yellow where they join the thorax. Often seen flying low along streams or over vegetation often far from water. Rests on the ground or on low vegetation. Breeds in clear shallow fast-running water where the nymphs can burrow into the silt and wait for prey to pass - nymphs take 2-5 years to develop. Nymph (50 mm) is elongated, flat and hairy with a spindle-shaped abdomen; found buried in the bottom mud. Flies from mid-June to September on moors and heaths, particularly in upland areas. Widespread in North and the North-West of the UK. Image taken at Thirlmere Reservoir, Lake District, Cumbria .
Sympetrum sanguineum (33-36 mm; forewing 50-59 mm) Ruddy darter Male has a bright red abdomen that is strongly constricted at the front with distinctive black markings on the 8th and 9th segments. The female abdomen is yellowish resembling the Common darter. Legs are completely black and there is a yellow patch at the base of the hindwing. Flies from June to September over well vegetated ponds. Numbers are boosted by migrants from the continent. Nymph (~17 mm) is broad with spines on the middle and rear of the abdomen and the hind legs are longer than the abdomen. Image taken at Bentley Wood, near Winterslow, Wiltshire .
Large hawking dragonflies. The eyes touch for a distance along the midline. The triangles of the front and hindwings and the number of cells within the triangle are used for identification. Males have easily discernable claspers.
Aeshna mixta (60-65 mm; forewing ~40 mm) Migrant hawker Similar to the Common hawker but less vivdly coloured. Possesses a brown front edge to the wings. Small yellow triangle at the front of the abdomen is distinctive with paired bluish spots down the abdomen. Flies from July to October usually not far from water, often migrating in swarms. Breeds in lakes and ponds. Numbhers are boosted by migrants from the continent. Image taken at Lulworth Cove, near Swanage, Dorset . Image is of an immature male.
Calopteryx (Agrion) virgo (45-48 mm; wing span 65-72 mm) Beautiful demoiselle Male has a metallic blue sheen. Male has extensive dark patches on the wings staring before the middle. Female has a green metallic body with brownish wings. Found from May to September near fast-moving clear, acid-neutral streams with plenty of vegetation. Nymph (~32 mm) is long, slender; middle gill lamella is shorter. Widespread and locally common in Western UK. Image taken at ?????????
Lestes dryas (25-33 mm; wing span 42-46 mm) Scarce emerald damsefly Similar to the Emerald damselfly, although it is stouter and the blue bloom only reaches halfway through the 2nd abdominal segment. The pterostigma is twice as long as it is broad. Found from June to September on still water. Rare in south-east England. Image taken at ?????????
Erythromma viridulum (~26 mm; wing span 36-40 mm) Small red-eyed damsefly Similar to the Red-eyed damselfly but smaller and both sexes have yellow stripes on the thorax. The abdominal segments 2 and 8 in the male have blue sides and there is a black 'X' on top of segment 10. Found on still and slow-moving waters from June to September. Image taken at ?????????
Erythromma najas (35-38 mm; wing span 45-52 mm) Red-eyed damsefly Distinctive large red eyes on a black head. The male thorax is black on top with blue sides. The female thorax has yellow sides and a couple of yellow stripes on top. The upper of the abdomen is primarily black, though the male has a blue patch near the tip that is absent in females. Found near still waters with plenty of vegetation from May to September. Nymph (~29 mm) has a spine on each abdominal segmen; gill lamellae are divided in two with three dark bands on the outer section. Local in England. Image taken at ?????????
Coenagrion mercuriale (~30 mm; wing span 30-40mm) Southern damsefly The 2nd abdominal segment contains a marking that has been said to resemble a 'ballet dancer'. The markings on the 3rd and 4th segments resemble obelisks. Found on streams in bogs, heathland and water meadows from June to August. Rare and confined to the south-west of the UK. Image taken at ?????????
Coenagrion pulchellum (30-36 mm; wing span 38-50 mm) Variable damsefly Male is similar to the Azure damselfly but the 2nd abdominal segment has a stalked U-shape and the penultimate segment is almost entirely black. The femal is blue and black, however the blue bands are narrower than the males. Found on well vegetated still waters in bogs, fens and water meadows from May to August. Nymph (~19 mm) has distinctly divided, blunt-ended gill lamellae; femurs are banded. Widespread but local. Image taken at ?????????
Coenagrion hastulatum (~30 mm; wing span 36-44 mm) Northern damsefly Males are blue and black. The 2nd abdominal segment has a black arrowhead with a black stripe down each side. The 8th and 9th segments are completely blue. Found in the far north of Scotland on bogs and lakes with still acidic waterfrom May to August. Image taken at ?????????
Ischnura pumilio (~30 mm; wing span 30-40 mm) Scarce blue-tailed damselfly Male resembles the Blue-tailed damselfly but the blue patch only covers segment 9 and a small portion of the 8th segment. The female lacks a blue tail. The pterostigma is square and is larger in the forewing than the hindwing. Found in bogs and shallow pools from May to September. Scarce in the south-west of the UK. Image taken at ???????
Platycnemis pennipes (36-38 mm; wing span 43-48 mm) White-legged damsefly Distinctive broad, pale hind legs. Male abdomen is pale blue with a black line running through all of the segments that broadens for the final four. Female is light greenish-yellow with thin paired black lines on the abdomen. Found on well vegetated still and slow-moving waters from May to August. Nymph (~19 mm) has gill lamellae that end in a long point and are covered in long bristles. Local in southern England. Image taken at ?????????
Anax imperator (75-82 mm; wing span ~110 mm) Emperor dragonfly Large dragonfly. The male is bright blue with a green thorax and the 1st abdominal segment; a black line runs down the entirety of the abdomen. The female is green and brown but with similar markings. Found on well vegetated still waters from May to September. Widespread and common south of central England. Image taken at ?????????
Brachytron pratense (55-58 mm; wing span 72-74 mm) Hairy dragonfly Distinctive hairy thorax. Generally blackish-brown, the male has broad yellowish-green bars on the thorax that the female lacks. The male has pairs of blue spots down the abdomen, whilst the females are yellow. Found on well vegetated still and slow-moving waters such as ditches, canals and ponds from May to July. Nymph (~45 mm) is long, slender with small eyes and a flat mask. Uncommon and asscoiated with the coast in the UK. Image taken at ?????????
Aeshna caerulea (60-65 mm; wing span ~40 mm) Azure hawker The blue spots on the abdomen. The final two pairs of spots are roughly rectangular. The males spots are brighter and larger. Eyes only just meet. Found on moorland pools from June to July. North Scotland. Image taken at ?????????
Aeshna juncea (74-76 mm; wing span 88-96 mm) Common hawker Brownish-black with blue or green rounded abdominal spots in the male and female respectively. Male has two narrow yellow stripes on the thorax. Yellow edge to the front of each wing. Found in acidc or neutral pools on heaths and moors from June to October. Mainly in upland areas. Widespread and common. Image taken at ?????????
Aeshna cyanea (71-74 mm; wing span 97-110 mm) Southern hawker Blackish-brown with green abdominal spots, except those on the 8th, 9th and 10th segments in the male are blue. Two thick green stripes on the thorax and a yellow triangle at the front of the abdomen. The 9th and 10th abdominal spots are fused forming a band. Found on small acidic-neutral still and slow-moving waters from June to October; often seen far from water. Nymph is ~45 mm. Common and widespread in lowland areas. Image taken at Bentley Wood, near Winterslow, Wiltshire .
Aeshna grandis (69-76 mm; wing span 96-104 mm) Brown hawker Distinctive brown wings. Generally brown - the male has blue patches at the front of the abdomen. Found on still and slow-moving waters from July to October. Nymph (~47 mm) is long, slender with large eyes and a flat mask. Common in the north and east of the UK. Image taken at ?????????
Aeshna isosceles (65-70 mm; wing span 40-50 mm) Norfolk hawker Distinctive hawker with brown body and clear wings. Green eyes and a yellow triangle at the front of the abdomen. Males lack blue patches seen in the Brown hawker. Only found in the Norfolk Broads from May to July. Rare. Image taken at ?????????
Orthetrum cancellatum (48-53 mm; wing span 76-83 mm) Black-tailed skimmer Male has a brown thorax and blue abdomen with a black tip, whilst the female and immature male are dull yellow with two black lines running the length. The clear wings have a black pterostigma. Found on hard bottomed still waters from May to August, often perching on rocks or the ground. Nymph (~26 mm) is broad, hairy, lacks spines. Located in the south of England. Image taken at ?????????
Libellula fulva (~45 mm; wing span 75-100 mm) Scarce chaser Resembles the Broad-bodied chaser but is slimmer, lacks the yellow spots and has black markings at the rear of the abdomen. The thorax is not hairy and lacks any stripes. The hindwing has a black basal patch; all wings have brown tips. Found in well vegetated slow-moving streams from May to August. Local in south England. Image taken at ?????????
Libellula quadrimaculata (39-48 mm; wing span 70-80 mm) Four-spotted chaser Distinctive dark spot midway along the front edge of each wing. Both sexes resemble the female Broad-bodied chaser but are slimmer and lack the yellow spots. The tip of the abdomen is black. Found in boggy acidic pools from May to August; migrant and will travel far from water. Nymph (~26 mm) is broad, flat, hairy, spines on the centre of the abdomen, and hind legs that extend past the abdomen; found buried in mud. Widespread and common. Image taken at ?????????
Leucorrhinia dubia (34-40 mm; wing span 52-58 mm) White-faced darter Distinctive white face. The body is brownish-black. The male has red spots, whilst the females are yellow. Hind-wing has a black patch near the base. Found in peat bogs from May to July. Nymph (~22 mm) is broad, brownish with a yellow mid-line and spots on the abdomen whilst the underside has broad dark bands. Rare in the Scottish highlands. Image taken at ?????????
Sympetrum flaveolum (??? mm; wing span ???mm) Yellow-winged darter Similar to other darters, but possesses distinctive amber coloured patches on the wings. Black and yellow legs. Found in well vegetated still and slow-moving water from July to October. A rare vagrant to the UK. Image taken at ?????????
Sympetrum vulgatum (??? mm; wing span ???mm) Vagrant darter Similar to the Common darter but the male is a deeper red and the black marking in front of the eyes are longer. The 1st abdominal segment is black. Image taken at ?????????
Sympetrum nigrescens (??? mm; wing span ???mm) Highland darter Very similar to the Common darter, but is a darker red with extensive black markings. Found in West Scotland. Image taken at ?????????
Gomphus vulgatissimus (48-50 mm; wing span 62-69 mm) Club-tailed dragonfly The abdomen is distinctly swollen in the male. The abdominal colours can be variable; generally black with variable yellow streaking. The thorax is yellowish-green with black markings. The green eyes are widely separated. Black legs. Nymph (~30 mm) is broad, flat, yellowish-grey, hairy with strong digging legs; found buried in the margins of lakes or river bottoms. Found in the lowlands on mature slow-moving rivers from May to June. Uncommon and local, found south of the Midlands. Image taken at ?????????
Somatochlora arctica (~50 mm; wing span ~35 mm) Northern dragonfly Similar to the Brilliant emerald dragonfly but is darker and the terminal appendages are curved. The female has yellowish-orange patches at the front of the abdomen. Found on bogs and moors from May to August. Very local in Northern Scotland. Image taken at ?????????
Somatochlora metallica (50-56 mm; wing span 73-82 mm) Brilliant emerald dragonfly Similar to the Downy emerald dragonfly but is less hairyand the abdomen is brighter. The terminal appendages are longer. Found in shallow still and slow-moving waters from June to August. Nymph (~25 mm) is broad, mottled and lacks stripes on the abdomen. Rare and local, confined to South-east England and North Scotland. Image taken at ?????????
Cordulia aenea (45-50 mm; wing span 66-71 mm) Downy emerald dragonfly Metallic green abdomen; the bronze-green thorax posesses dense golden hairs. The abdomen is darker green and constricted in the male near the front. Green eyes. Clear wings except for an amber patch near the base. Flies restlessly. Found in slightly acidic still waters in woodland from May to July. Nymph (~25 mm) is mottled, broad with stubby spines on the rear of the abdomen; banded legs. Local in the UK, generally in the south. Image taken at ?????????
