Dragonflies are among the most beautiful insects here in the Low Countries, except for some butterflies perhaps. Even though they are skilful flyers and colourful animals once adults, their larvae are another cup of tea. They do resemble their adults a bit, but lack the long abdomen and the wings. Very often you will see two dragonflies flying about together. Often the shape of the two bodies will remind you of a heart or a wheel. Actually they are mating. The male grabs the female just behind the head. The female holds on to the male just behind the body. In this position the male is impregnating her. Now this is odd, for the male's ***organs are located at the end of his tail. So if the end of the females body is just behind his own body and not near the end of his tail, how does he do it? After producing his sperm, he transports it to a special save-keeping organ near the front of the tail. And that's exactly where the female grabs him! When she is depositing her eggs the males of many species hold their grip on the female, to prevent other males from breaking in and taking over. Both the larvae and the adults are carnivores.
The Migrant Hawker is a rather big Dragonfly. Adult males have a brown thorax. A few yellowish lines run over it. The abdomen is brownish black with lots of small blue rings. It is very similar to the male of the Green Hawker. The sides of the thorax of the latter however are green, not brown. It is also similar to the Southern Migrant Hawker, but that is not a British species (last seen in 1952 in Kent). The female of the Migrant Hawker is easily identified by the brown abdomen with small yellow and black smears and rings. The Migrant Hawker will reach a length of 63 mm and the wingspan may be up to 85 mm.
The female Migrant Hawker prefers to lay her eggs on floating objects like drift wood. Depositing the eggs takes place late in summer or even the beginning of autumn. The eggs don't hatch immediately, but overwinter first. Next spring the young appear. Like the larvae of most Dragonflies, they are very greedy and grow fast. Still they don't become adult in the same year, but usually overwinter once more. Only in the southern regions of Europe the cycle may be completed in just one year. This species isn't picky at all and usually is found in smaller ditches and ponds, including those in gardens! By the way, it is not certain the bottom pictures really show the Migrant Hawker's larva. The larvae of the hawkers are very similar indeed, so this may be the larva of another species.
The Migrant Hawker is an excellent flyer, often appearing far away from water. It is regularly seen in gardens and parks. It is keen on hunting at the edges of woodlands and around bigger bushes. The males often have a territory in which females are readily allowed, but other males aren't tolerated. Sometimes Migrant Hawkers hunt in big mixed groups, especially over grasslands. It is often difficult to photograph as it flies well and often. Yet it is worth keeping an eye on them, for once settled in a resting place it is not easily scared away and may become a very good model indeed. The Migrant Hawker is common in most of England, especially the south, and parts of Ireland.
In size the Southern Hawker is a rather big, but highly variable species. When fully developed the adult males can be identified by looking at the thorax. The sides of the thorax are green on top it is brown with two yellow line like markings. The dark markings on the segments 9 and 10 are connected, which is another good characteristic of the Southern Hawker. It is very similar to Common Hawker, but in this species the costa (the big main vein of the wing) is yellow and adult males have a constricted waist. The Southern Hawker may reach a length of 67 to 76mm and the wingspan may be anything from 85 to 110mm.
The female Southern Hawker prefers to lay her eggs on floating objects like drift wood, or in the soil, just above the waterline. Depositing the eggs takes place late in summer or even the beginning of autumn. The eggs don't hatch immediately, but overwinter first. Next spring the young appear. Like the larvae of most Dragonflies, they are very greedy and grow fast. Still they don't become adult in the same year, but usually overwinter twice. The Southern Hawker prefers small, but rich waters, such as ditches, garden ponds and pools in forests.
The Southern Hawker is not the best of flyers, but can be seen far away from water. Quite common in gardens and parks. Males often have their own territory in which females are accepted. They patrol their territory by flying at a hight of about 1 meter. When a female is met they'll start mating in a bush, but soon move to tree tops completing the procedure. Southern Hawkers always hunt alone and usually hunt one to two meters above the soil. The species is common in England, quite common in Wales and rare in southern Scotland, being absent in other parts of Scotland. Except for one find not present in Ireland.
The name says it all: the Broad-bodied Chaser has a very broad body indeed. Together with the big brown patches at the beginning of the wings this species is unmistakable. The hind body is brown in females and blue in males, with a number of yellow markings near the edges. In some males these patches turn blue as well, in most they don't. Very old females may turn blue too. The Broad-bodied Chaser is not very long, for it will reach a length varying from 40 to 50mm. The wingspan is relatively impressive: some 70 to well over 80mm.
The eggs are being wiped to the surface of the water. The sink to the bottom and hatch. The larvae not only live on the bottom, but also in it. New adults may appear in just one year, but the development may take two years as well. The larvae can hide deep inside the mud. In this way they are capable of living through long periods during which the pool is dried up. The Broad-bodied chaser is a pionering animal, which means it will quickly appear in new pools. It disappears once the pool gets older, especially when 50% or more is grown with plants.
Mating takes a very short time only: it is over and done with in less than one minute. The female lays her eggs alone, but the male keeps watch close by. Especially the females can be found far away from the waters they are born in. The Broad-bodied Chaser is very approachable, so it is quite easy to make beautiful pictures. And you don't have to follow the animal about, you just wait for it. On beautiful, sunny days it may suddenly appear in your garden. Unlike the darters, which are flying around almost constantly, the Broad-bodied Chaser will try to find a high object, such as a twig, flower or whatever and it will hunt from there, returning there after every succesfull or unsuccesful attack. Just move towards this point. The animal may be scared by your present at first, but that will soon end and you can make some lovely pictures indeed. This is especially true when dealing with females. Males are not only less frequent garden visitors, they are also much more restless.
The name says it all: the Broad-bodied Chaser has a very broad body indeed. Together with the big brown patches at the beginning of the wings this species is unmistakable. The hind body is brown in females and blue in males, with a number of yellow markings near the edges. In some males these patches turn blue as well, in most they don't. Very old females may turn blue too. The Broad-bodied Chaser is not very long, for it will reach a length varying from 40 to 50mm. The wingspan is relatively impressive: some 70 to well over 80mm.
The eggs are being wiped to the surface of the water. The sink to the bottom and hatch. The larvae not only live on the bottom, but also in it. New adults may appear in just one year, but the development may take two years as well. The larvae can hide deep inside the mud. In this way they are capable of living through long periods during which the pool is dried up. The Broad-bodied chaser is a pionering animal, which means it will quickly appear in new pools. It disappears once the pool gets older, especially when 50% or more is grown with plants.
Mating takes a very short time only: it is over and done with in less than one minute. The female lays her eggs alone, but the male keeps watch close by. Especially the females can be found far away from the waters they are born in. The Broad-bodied Chaser is very approachable, so it is quite easy to make beautiful pictures. And you don't have to follow the animal about, you just wait for it. On beautiful, sunny days it may suddenly appear in your garden. Unlike the darters, which are flying around almost constantly, the Broad-bodied Chaser will try to find a high object, such as a twig, flower or whatever and it will hunt from there, returning there after every succesfull or unsuccesful attack. Just move towards this point. The animal may be scared by your present at first, but that will soon end and you can make some lovely pictures indeed. This is especially true when dealing with females. Males are not only less frequent garden visitors, they are also much more restless.
On the continent are some 10 species of reddish darters. They comprise a group of species hard to identify. The colour does sometimes give some indication, but usually other factors have to be taken into account as well. In Southern Britain the Vagrant Darter is a rare immigrant from continental Europe, but on the continent it is one of the most common species. The Vagrant Darter is very similar to the Common Darter. The main differences being: The Vagrant Darter has legs which are partly black en partly yellowish, the black line on the forehead droops down, the body, especially that of the male, is slightly shaped like a bludgeon and the ovipositor of the female sticks out in a 90 degree angle. In the Common Darter the legs are black, the black line runs over the forehead only and doesn't droop down, the body is straight and the female's ovipositor sticks out in a 40 degrees angle. The Vagrant Darter will reach a length of some 35 to 40mm. The wingspan may vary from 55 to 65mm.
After mating the first eggs are deposited in tandem position. But soon the male lets go of the female. She continues depositing eggs alone, but he's never far away chasing off other males. The eggs are usually laid in the mud in very shallow waters. The larvae live in shallow waters, usually in the mud or among water plants. They are often extremely muddy. Adults always appear after just one year. The Vagrant Darter prefers shallow pools.
The adults migrate over large areas and are often seen in meadows, roads and gardens far away from water. There they usually hunt from a high point. After the attempt to catch a prey, they return to their beloved look-out. Thus they are easily photographed, as you only have to wait a short time for their return.
The animal in the bottom picture may be a Vagrant Darter, but may also be another Darter species alltogether. It is extremely fresh and from this picture a positive id cannot be made.
The Common Darter is the most common species in Britain. It is very similar to the very rare Vagrant Darter. Another look-a-like is the Ruddy Darter. The differences between the Ruddy Darter and the Common Darter are much more obvious though. The Common Darter has legs which are partly yellow and partly black. The Ruddy Darter however has black legs. The males are brightly red and have a red face. Females are more difficult difficult to tell apart, but usually the legs will do the trick. The Common Darter will reach a length of some 42 to 45mm, reaching a wing span of some 55 to 65mm.
After mating the first eggs are deposited in tandem position. But after a few minutes the male lets go off the female. She continues depositing eggs alone, but he's never far away chasing off other males. The eggs are usually laid in the mud in very shallow waters, or on the surface of deeper waters, where they soon sink to the bottom. The larvae live in all kinds of water, usually on the bottom or among water plants. Often one of the first species appearing in new waters. Adults always appear after just one year.
The adults of the Common Darter migrate over large areas and are often seen in meadows, roads and gardens far away from water. Just like the Broad-bodied Chaser they usually hunt from a high point. After the attempt to catch a prey, they return to their beloved look-out, either on the look out for a new animal to hunt after, or chewing on the freshly caught prey. Thus they are easily photographed, as you only have to wait a short time for their return. Once used to your presence they often behave like well educated models, even though the males tend to be more restless. The Common Darter deserves its name, for it is abundant in England, Wales and Ireland, common in Southern Scotland, but getting rarer going northwards.
The Ruddy Darter is one of the most beautiful darters, especially fully grown males. They are the deepest of all reds, including their faces. Males therefore are unmistakable. Females and freshly emerged males are very similar to those of the Common Darter. The difference is in the legs: those of the Common Darter are partly black, partly yellow, those of the Ruddy Darter are black entirely. Every now and then though, a specimen is seen with some yellow on the first part of the leg (the thigh). Like in other Darters some female are as red as the males are. The Ruddy Darter is not a very big species. It reaches a length of some 34 to 46mm and the wingspan usually is less than 60mm. In all pictures are males, except for the top and bottom pictures which shows a female.
After mating the first eggs are deposited in tandem position. But after a few minutes the male lets go off the female. She continues depositing eggs alone, but he's never far away chasing off other males. The eggs are usually laid in the mud in very shallow waters, or on the surface of deeper waters, where they soon sink to the bottom. They'll ovewinter before the larvae hatch. These live among waterplants in all kinds of water, preferably with lots of plants growing in the water and among the shores. The adults always appear after just one year. The Ruddy Darter is a common species in the South of England and in Ireland.
The adult Ruddy Darters often migrate over great distances and are regularly seen far away from water, for instance over meadows, parks, gardens and even highways. Like their relatives they hunt from a high point, to which they return after an attempt. This means you don't have to go running after them, but you can wait for their return. They turn out to be rather good models for photographers and even the males tend to be quite tolerable.
The beautiful Large Red Damselfly can only be mistaken by the Small Red Damselfly, which has red legs, is smaller and appears later. The Large Red Damselfly's legs are black. Males have the entire abdomen red, except for the very last segments which have black markings on top. The females carry black markings on top of all segments of the abdomen. Even though it is called the Large Red Damselfly it is not very large, actually. The length usually is 36mm and the wingspan seldomly is over 45mm.
The eggs are laid in a tandem. Females are rarely seen laying the eggs by themselves. During the egg laying process males stand right over their females, only rarely clinging on to a waterplant. Females submerge regularly, males less frequently. The eggs are being deposited on waterplants, usually stems, one by one. During the first year, the larvae live among the waterplants. During the 2nd and 3rd year they usually stick to the bottom. The cycle may however also be completed in just one year, which almost never happens in the UK, or two years.
Adult Large Red Damselflies appear very early. In favourable springs, they may appear as early as the last week of March. They also disappear early, usually the last are seen around the longest day of the year. Despite the beautiful red colour, the animals are not easily seen, for they usually fly about in thick vegetation, often quite far from the waterfront. The Large Red Damselfly prefers small standing water, preferably with a rich vegetation, both in the water as on the waterfront. It is often the first species to colonize new pools and ponds, including those in everyday gardens. A common species all over Britain and Ireland, even seen near ponds in the centres of villages and cities.
The Azure Damselfly belongs to a group of similar blue Damselflies. Telling these blue species apart may be quite tricky. In males the marking on the second segment of the abdomen usually is sufficient. Each blue Damselfly is uniquely marked on that particular segment. In Azure Damselflies we see a blue U-shaped marking. Males are very blue, for only one segment is entirely black on top. This makes them the blueist of all Damselflies. Females however are black on top of all segments. This makes them the darkest of all female blue Damselflies. The females usually are greenish, rarely blueish or whitish. The thorax in both ***es has one, uninterrupted light line, which is slightly thinner than the black line underneath. Reaching a length of 30 to 35mm and a wingspan of 40 to 50mm this is one of the biggest blue Damselflies.
Like in all Dragonflies mating takes place by making a heart-shaped tandem, as can be seen in the bottom picture. Males cling to females by taking them behind the head. After mating males keep being attached to the females, which hangs off the male helplessly. In this way the eggs are being laid. The males usually stand straight on top of the egg-depositing female. Only when there is a lot of wind, males may grab on to a plant. The eggs are being deposited on plants growing just beneath the surface. After hatching the larvae will first live among the plants, later they move to the bottom. The entire cycle of life is completed in just one year.
The Azure Damselfly is found in almost all standing water. This may be a big lake, but a small pond in a garden will do as well. The water shouldn't be too acid though. The species thus is scarce in layer peat and forest lakes. The Azure Damselfly is one of the most common Damselflies in Britain, except for the northern parts of Scotland. It is on the wing from May to August.
The Azure Damselfly belongs to a group of similar blue Damselflies. Telling these blue species apart may be quite tricky. In males the marking on the second segment of the abdomen usually is sufficient. Each blue Damselfly is uniquely marked on that particular segment. In Azure Damselflies we see a blue U-shaped marking. Males are very blue, for only one segment is entirely black on top. This makes them the blueist of all Damselflies. Females however are black on top of all segments. This makes them the darkest of all female blue Damselflies. The females usually are greenish, rarely blueish or whitish. The thorax in both ***es has one, uninterrupted light line, which is slightly thinner than the black line underneath. Reaching a length of 30 to 35mm and a wingspan of 40 to 50mm this is one of the biggest blue Damselflies.
Like in all Dragonflies mating takes place by making a heart-shaped tandem, as can be seen in the bottom picture. Males cling to females by taking them behind the head. After mating males keep being attached to the females, which hangs off the male helplessly. In this way the eggs are being laid. The males usually stand straight on top of the egg-depositing female. Only when there is a lot of wind, males may grab on to a plant. The eggs are being deposited on plants growing just beneath the surface. After hatching the larvae will first live among the plants, later they move to the bottom. The entire cycle of life is completed in just one year.
The Azure Damselfly is found in almost all standing water. This may be a big lake, but a small pond in a garden will do as well. The water shouldn't be too acid though. The species thus is scarce in layer peat and forest lakes. The Azure Damselfly is one of the most common Damselflies in Britain, except for the northern parts of Scotland. It is on the wing from May to August.
The Blue-tailed Damselfly belongs to the group of black and blue damselflies. The animals are very dark on top. Only the 8th segment of the body is entirely blue. In older females this blue may be so dark that you can hardly see it. The Blue-tailed Damselfly does look like some others. It is similar to the Red-eyed Damselflies, but lacks the red eyes of those species. It is also similar to the Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly, which has part of segment number 8 and the complete segment number 9 blue. In Blue-tailed Damselflies just segment number 8 is blue. On the continent you might encounter the rare Norfolk Damselfly, which is also very similar to the Blue-tailed Damselfly. In the Norfolk Damselfly however, not only segment 8 is blue, but also the starting edge of segment number 9. It is however reported to be extinct in Britain. The lighter parts of the Blue-tailed Damselfly are not always blue. They may be yellow, brown or blue as well. This is partly due to the age and whether the animal has fully reached its colours, but there also appears to be a natural variation in these colourings. Reaching a length of no more than 30 to 35mm and a wingspan of some 40mm, this is one of the smallest damselflies in Britain.
The males usually stay much closer to the water than the females, which may travel long distances. Mating takes several hours and after mating the male looses interest in the females, which will deposit her eggs all by herself. During this process the females may disappear below the water surface entirely. The larvae live in the vegetation, often close to the bank or edge of the water. In Britain it is single brooded, but in southern Europe two or even three generations may appear each year. It is on the wing from May to August.
The Blue-tailed Damselfly is not picky about the kind of water it lives in. Lakes will do, but streams and small ponds too. This is a species appearing in ordinary garden ponds as well, even though it likes some vegetation round the pond. This is probably the most abundant damselfly in Britain. In other parts of Europe, including the northern regions, it is just as common as in Britain.
The Banded Demoiselle is surpassed in beauty only by its close relative the Beautiful Demoiselle. The males can be told apart easily: the Banded Demoiselle has a dark band running over the wings, whereas the Beautiful Demoiselle has all dark wings. Females are more difficult to tell apart, but usually the wings of the Beautiful Demoiselle give a golden or brown illusion, while those of the Banded Demoiselle are usually greenish. In some areas both species mix, but usually one species appears to be predominant. The Banded Demoiselle is less than 50mm long, but the wings are quite big, for the wingspan may be well over 70mm.
The males of the Banded Demoiselle have to impress the females before they can mate. They show the females a white dot, located on the underside of the body. This dot is different in all Demoiselle species. Then they approach the female by showing the inside of the wings. Should the female accept, mating commences, which takes about 15 minutes. Afterwards the female will deposit her eggs all by herself. The male will keep an eye on the female to protect her from other males. Should another female enter his territory though, he looses interest in the egg laying female and starts courting the new female. That's why every now and then two or more females are depositing eggs in the territory of the same male. The eggs are deposited in waterplants and here the larva develops in some 10 months time.
The Banded Demoiselle is found in slowly streaming water only. It prefers lots of vegetation both in the water as on the bank. Males usually stay near the water, females may migrate over large distances. They are very rare in gardens, though. So we were lucky when this animal entered our garden and even turned out to be a very quiet model. Males are very difficult to photograph as they are scared away easily. The Banded Demoiselle is quote common along streaming water in England, Wales and Ireland. The Beautiful Demoiselle is a rather local species found west of the line Liverpool Folkestone and in Southern Ireland only.
The Willow Emerald Damselfly belongs to a small group of 4 rather similar metallic green damselflies. Among these it is easily identified, for it is the biggest, males never turn blueish and the marking in the wings is whitish. Usually the eyes are brownish and not blueish as in the other species. The Willow Emerald Damselfly may reach a length of 45 to 50mm, while the wingspan varies from 50 to 60mm.
Like in all damselflies and Dragonflies mating is done in a wheel: males grab a female behind her head and she places the end of her body near the end of the males's thorax. Mating usually takes place in trees or bushes near the water. After mating the female lets go, but the male keeps on grabbing her behind the head. They now are a so-called tandem. In this position egg-laying commences. While most damselflies lay their eggs in the water, the Willow Emerald Damselfly deposits her eggs in crevices in the bark of trees, especially branches growing over the water. She prefers willows to other trees to lay her eggs in. In the evening however one sometimes sees females depositing eggs by themselves. The eggs overwinter and hatch next spring. Out of the egg comes the legless, smooth and very light prolarva. It is capable of jumping, something it must do should it have been fallen not into but near water. This prolarva stage takes a short time only. Some damselflies mould within a few seconds. In the Willow Emerald Damselfly it takes the animal several minutes to mould for the first time. The nymph usually hunts at the bottom and grows incredibly fast, for after some 3 months a new adult may appear.
Due to the fact the eggs are being laid in tree bark, we'll find this species in waters surrounded by trees and shrubs. The size of the water doesn't matter much: a lake will do, but so will a ditch. Brackish water though is avoided. Both females and males may migrate considerable distances and may turn up in gardens as well. In gardens they'll never be as numerous as some Dragonflies though. The Willow Emerald Damselfly usually hunts from one and the same place. After a hunt they'll return to the same place over and over again. Photographers don't have to go running after them, just wait for them at their usual spot. They'll accept your presence very soon and are excellent models indeed. A very common species on the European continent, but not a British species. Only found in Sus*** in 1980 and in Kent in 1992.
This species is also called the Green Emerald Damselfly. Scientifically also known as Chalcolestes viridis.
