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Three dragonflies
Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 12:59 pm
by Dave Mac
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)
![Image](http://upload9.postimage.org/288090/commonhawker_4924.jpg)
Thanks
Dave
Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 5:01 pm
by rdunn162
I would agree with your ID of pic 1 & 3 but pic 2 is a male Ruddy Darter
Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 7:50 pm
by yellowhammer
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.
Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 8:57 am
by Dave Mac
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
Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 3:08 pm
by Mike Young
The third shot is Southern Hawker - Aeshna cyanea
Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 3:50 pm
by Dave Mac
So I failed to name any of them correctly, Ah well that's about par for the course,
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
I reckon that dragons are just as difficult to identify as the small yellow skippers (if not more so)
Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 4:02 pm
by eccles
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.
![Image](http://members.lycos.co.uk/majorbludnock/smile.jpg)
Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 8:17 am
by Dave Mac
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
Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 6:43 pm
by Rogerdodge
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
Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 6:47 pm
by eccles
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.
Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2007 8:13 am
by Dave Mac
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