www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

There is a small pond in my garden and this year I have seen about half a dozen dragonflies all looking very similar emerging from it. They were reliably identified on this site as Southern Hawkers or at least one of them was.



However the last one that emerged last week looks like the same species but a bit washed out. What I find puzzling is that it dried its wings held along its body and not sticking out at 90 degrees like the earlier emergers had


My questions are: is this a southern hawker and is it unusual to to see one expand its wings in this way?
Cheers
Dave

I think that is a southern hawker, despite the rather anaemic colouring. It looks as though it has only just emerged, as it is still rather crumpled in body and wings.

I have a couple of pictures I took as a child, 30 years ago, which might shed a little light on the wing position (though I expect there are others in the group who can say with more authority). The first is of a still emerging southern hawker:



The wing stubs seem to be lined up in the way you describe as it pulls itself out.

The second is later (a different individual), with the wings half way between the positions in your two pictures:



These pictures have gone quite a bit sepia on me since I took them!

Guy

Yep Dave they are definately Southern Hawkers, I also have a small pond (2x1.5 metre)in my front garden and have had 15 emerge this year.

I have watched most of the emergence process and can say that all my dragons start with the wings parallel to the body while they are pumping up and then they flick open across the body a short while before flying off.
Also just before flying they "warm up" the wing muscles by vibrating them vigorously.
The pale colouring is simply because they are newly emerged.

Guy and Mike, many thanks