Not Lepidoptera (dragons!)

[hammer]

Love the downy emerald photo, i wish i could find one emerging or even at rest, everyone i have seen has been in flight, i am hoping to see some at the weekend.

Colin.

[Susie]

Gorgeous photos again.

[eccles]

Jerry, I was with you when you snapped that four-spot but I didn't get anything like that. Great shot!

@Guy, thanks for your tips on the downy emerald. Looking at the pic again, and also other snaps I took from slightly different directions I think it's pretty conclusive that you're right:
No constriction of the abdomen, which is quite marked with a male
Straight claspers - males' are short and curved outwards
No irregularity at the first abdominal segment, i.e. no secondary genitalia

Mike.

[eccles]

Hundreds of four spot chasers at Shapwick Heath today, with dozens seen from the Decoy Hide. They can look a bit dowdy when mature but this one was quite fresh, and looking glorious when reflecting the sun.

[geniculata]

at crockford bottom in the forest today i found my first southern damselflys of the year plus plenty of broad bodies.

gary.

[hammer]

Super photos Gary.

Went to Oxfordshire at the weekend hunting for clubtails, found 5 at Little Wittenham, some were seen at Goring but being too warm they were all flying high in the tree tops.

colin.

[eccles]

Southern damselfly and clubtail are two species I've never seen before. What a cracking thread this is turning out to be. Almost as good as butterflies!

[geniculata]

have you seen scarce blue tailed damsel, form aurantiaca before?,
because its a first for me and i only found it in amongst my images that i took at crockford bottom yesterday after taking a second look through them now.
lovely clubtail image colin thats one ive never seen!

gary.

[xmilehigh]

Great pictures Eccles Gary & Colin. I must admit that these creatures are fascinating to watch. We should have day out and go hunting/photographing some time I'd love to see them all

Here's a Four-spot chaser from shapwick Heath on Sunday.

[nick patel]

Loads of 4 spots yesterday at Meathop moss, as well as Large red damselflies.

cheers.

[Susie]

Amazing photos, guys.

[hammer]

hi Gary
I love that photo of the teneral scarce blue tailed damselfly, i went to crockford bridge last year in june but did not see any, i may have been a bit too early.

Colin.

[geniculata]

hi colin,

i like you actually assumed it was teneral, but actually it turns out that its a distinct female colour form.
if you have it, then look at page 67 in "britains dragonflies" in the wild guides series, it has a nice image.
heres another of my pics from a different angle.
gary.

[Susie]

Is it? Goodness, I thought it was teneral too. It certainly looks half cooked.

[geniculata]

hi susie,

i promise i don't eat dragonflies but if i did i'de prefer them raw
gary.

[Dave McCormick]

Loving the shots here. Dragons and damsels are one of my favourite insects besides butterflies and moths. I got this here beside a lake, anyone know what it is:



I want to go looking for Irish Damsel and Blue and variable Damselflies. I never really knew the difference until last year when Ian Rippy from BCNI showed me them at a bog we were at. I was watching the damsels trying to lay eggs in water and the dragons coming down and trying to get the damsels. Wish I had my video camera then

Edit: Gary, loving the female damsel you have there, like the orangey/yellow colour of its body. Never seen that one before.

[geniculata]

hi dave,
its a large red male damsel, and a beauty at that.

gary.

[Dave McCormick]

hi dave,
its a large red male damsel, and a beauty at that.

gary.

Cheers Gary! I have only seen them once before now and that was last year. Going to a wetland area at weekend if weather permits, hopefully I'll find something there.

[Padfield]

Is it? Goodness, I thought it was teneral too. It certainly looks half cooked.

My book (Dijkstra and Lewington) illustrates this form as an immature female, and next to a photo of it writes: This bright orange developmental phase is sometimes referred to as the form aurantiaca'. In the main text it says: 'All females typically lack the black humeral stripes, having at most a thin black line along the suture, and are orange when teneral'.

Guy

[geniculata]

hi guy,

since i posted the images i did alittle research myself on the net and found various references some calling it a phase some a form and some immature, so im not too clear on what it is now? do you think that all the females of this species pass through this "phase" or "form" when immature in your interpretation, or just a percentage?

gary.