Anybody any good with damselflies??

[TedM]

I spotted this beauty in my garden here in Cornwall and originally thought it was just a Common Blue but the black markings on each section don't really fit, nor does the length of the wing. Trying to identify it, it doesn't seem to be a Southern or an Irish so I'm a bit stuck. Any ideas? It spent most of the time nearly upright (the image showing the full body has been turned clockwise by 90 degrees by me) but did stick it's rear end into the air a couple of times.

Any thoughts on what it really is would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Ted

Damselfly

Showing anal appendages

Head & thorax

With the rear end in the air

[Jonathan Evans]

I'm no expert, but I would say that Southern and Irish Damselflies should be ruled out by the lack of a distinctive 'Coenagrion spur' on the side of the thorax. The broad blue antehumeral stripe would indicate Common Blue Damselfly, and the abdomen markings seem to be those of a 'blue form' female of that species.

Hope this helps,

Jon

[TedM]

Hi Jon.

Many thanks for that. I had been thrown by the extra volume of the black markings on each section and the extra length of the wings (by comparison to previous images I've taken of the Common Blue and those I've Google Image'd) so I appreciate your input and will treat this one as a female Common Blue.

Thanks for providing the clarification. Much appreciated.

Regards.

Ted

[Jonathan Evans]

I've always found Damselfly/Dragonfly IDs very tricky, but have found the book 'Britain's Dragonflies' by Dave Smallshire & Andy Swash, to be a great help .

Jon

[TedM]

Thanks again, Jon. I reckon it's about time I got some better reference books. I've got "Insects of Cornwall and thr Isles of Scilly" by Steve Jones, which is an excellent starting point but something that goes into further detail about each species would certainly be worthwhile.
I've just spent over an hour searching on the internet to identify a day-flying moth that came to feed from a flower next to me while I was taking photos of a Green-veined White only to find it is actually a Skipper - derrrr, amateur!! Even then, I can't tell which Skipper. I'll be posting a new thread with another request for help in a matter of minutes, as soon as I've resized the image.
Thanks again.
Ted

[Paul]

Ok.... anyone know what this is. ?? It was small, about 4cm length, and was on Dales heather moorland by a stream in North Yorkshire...




I'd be very grateful for confirmation.

[Michaeljf]

Paul,
I'm not sure you're going to get a confirmation from anyone here, unless someone really knows their onions (sorry, Dragonflies) I would say an 'immature' Black Darter, which I think was your first opinion? Given where you live it's probably quite likely as I think it fits with it's British distribution.
Having said that, I've gotten faded Hairstreak ID's wrong before, and I thought I knew more about butterflies
Michael

[Rogerdodge]

Paul
Sympetrum danae - Black Darter
Is my best guess

[Michaeljf]

Have a look at these two links (see particularly the 3rd pic on the British Dragonfly site):

http://www.dragonflysoc.org.uk/sydan.html

http://www.dragonflypix.com/speciespage ... danae.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Darter

Note that the immature Black Darter (male) has the black on the sides of the abdominal segments, as per your picture.

Michael

[Paul]

Clinches it for me.... but 3rd pic down is female (?)

[Paul Wetton]

Hi

The damselfly looks like a female Common Blue Damselfly as the blue ante humoral stripe on the thorax is thicker than the black one.

The small dagonfly is definitely Black Darter a young male or most likely a female.

Cheers

Paul

[Paul]

What about this then.... I have labelled it as Southern Hawker... but would like to be corrected....



not sure you can tell from this angle, but it's the only one I have

[Paul Wetton]

Looks like Southern Hawker with the two huge green stripes across the thorax and a large anti humoral stripe also. Colours look like a male of that species. Sexual appendages should confirm male or female. Not something I've got into though, looking at dragonflies naughty bits.

[Paul]

Ah... thanks very much.... we'll leave it's dangly bits alone