Three dragonflies

Dave Mac · Post by **Dave Mac** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 12:59 pm

I have tentatively identified these as common darters (male and femail) and a common hawker. Could somebody with a black belt in dragonfly identification confirm this (or not)

Thanks
Dave

rdunn162 · Post by **rdunn162** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 5:01 pm

I would agree with your ID of pic 1 & 3 but pic 2 is a male Ruddy Darter

yellowhammer · Post by **yellowhammer** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 7:50 pm

I'd say the female darter (No. 1) is a Ruddy too, as the legs are all black & the black marking on the face extends down the side of the frons.

Dave Mac · Post by **Dave Mac** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 8:57 am

Thanks both of you for correcting my identifications. Using the information you supplied I googled both the common and the ruddy darter female and one of the sites confirmed that black legs are diagnostic for the ruddy darter. However, trying to look at the photos on most of the sites was difficult as they are not as good as we are used to here !
BTW Richard I tried to access your website but it was not online

Cheers
Dave

Mike Young · Post by **Mike Young** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 3:08 pm

The third shot is Southern Hawker - Aeshna cyanea

Dave Mac · Post by **Dave Mac** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 3:50 pm

So I failed to name any of them correctly, Ah well that's about par for the course,

I reckon that dragons are just as difficult to identify as the small yellow skippers (if not more so)

eccles · Post by **eccles** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 4:02 pm

Hawkers can be confusing when they are immature as this one is. The giveaway in this case is the 'golf tee' shaped mark on the back of the thorax. Similar is the migrant hawker where the tee is more like a tack.
Here's a common darter, shot last Saturday. Note the cream stripe on the legs.

Dave Mac · Post by **Dave Mac** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 8:17 am

Is there a book or perhaps a web site that not only shows pictures of uk dragon and damsel flies but points out the diagnostic features ? As eccles and yellowhammer did above (just looking at the pictures alone does not do it for me) I would find it useful as I have a load of damsel fly pictures all with iffy identifications.
Cheers
Dave

Rogerdodge · Post by **Rogerdodge** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 6:43 pm

I used to have this book, which was fabulous - it went missing during my last divorce - lost some good CDs too!
http://www.nhbs.com/the_dragonflies_of_ ... _9617.html
It seems it is out of print, but there is a great website for secondhand books that I have used to great effect.
http://www.abebooks.co.uk/
You have encouraged me to go hunting for a copy again, but I shall give you a few weeks 'clear shot' first!
HTH
Roger Harding

eccles · Post by **eccles** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 6:47 pm

I have the Field Guide to Dragonflies & Damselflies of Great Britain and Ireland by Steve Brooks. The illustrations are very accurate, even down to wing vein detail.

Dave Mac · Post by **Dave Mac** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 8:13 am

Thanks for the recommendations, I will now have no excuses for getting it wrong (perhaps). Roger I found several second hand copies of the book you suggested using this site
http://www.bookfinder.com/search/?ac=sl ... 1:931:1336
Cheers
Dave