 |
 |
| Dragonflies and Damselflies |
There are many more types of insects which are often encountered in Britain apart from butterflies. The most obvious are Dragonflies and Damselflies. Unlike butterflies, these creatures are the aerial hunters of the insect word grabbing their prey (usually other flying insects including butterflies) in mid flight.
|
|
|
 |
|
Find Out More |
|
|
This web site is not intended to be a guide to British Dragonflies or Damselflies. If you want to find out more about Dragonflies or Damselflies, visit the British Dragonfly Society web site at: www.dragonflysoc.org.uk |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Banded Demoiselle (male)
(Calopteryx splendens)
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
White-legged Damselfly (female)
(Platycnemis pennipes)
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
White-legged Damselfly (female)
(Platycnemis pennipes)
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
|
|
Blue-tailed Damselfly
|
Common Blue Damselfly |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Blue-tailed Damselfly
(Ischnura elegans form violacea)
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Common Blue Damselfly
(Enallagma cyathigerum)
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Small Red-eyed Damselfly
(mating pair)
(Erythromma viridulum)
Woodwalton Fen
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Brown Hawker (male)
(Aeshna grandis)
Fermyn Wood, Northamptonshire
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Brown Hawker (male)
(Aeshna grandis)
Fermyn Wood, Northamptonshire
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Brown Hawker (male)
(Aeshna grandis)
Fermyn Wood, Northamptonshire
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
|
|
|
|
|
Emperor Dragonfly (female)
(Anax imperator)
Ryton Wood, Warwickshire
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Migrant Hawker (male)
(Aeshna mixta)
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Migrant Hawker (male)
(Aeshna mixta)
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Migrant Hawker (male)
(Aeshna mixta)
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Migrant Hawker (male)
(Aeshna mixta)
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
|
|
|
|
Club-tailed Dragonfly (male)
(Gomphus vulgatissimus)
Wyre Forest
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Club-tailed Dragonfly (male)
(Gomphus vulgatissimus)
Wyre Forest
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Club-tailed Dragonfly (male)
(Gomphus vulgatissimus)
Wyre Forest
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
|
|
|
|
|
Golden-ringed Dragonfly (male)
(Cordulegaster boltonii)
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
|
Black-tailed Skimmer (female)
(Orthetrum cancellatum)
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Black-tailed Skimmer (female)
(Orthetrum cancellatum)
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
|
|
|
|
Black Darter (male)
(Sympetrum danae )
Whixall Moss
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Black Darter (male)
(Sympetrum danae )
Aqualate Mere
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Black Darter (male)
(Sympetrum danae )
Aqualate Mere
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
|
|
|
|
|
Common Darter (male)
(Sempetrum striolatum)
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Common Darter (female)
(Sempetrum striolatum)
Ryton Wood, Warwickshire
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Common Darter (male)
(Sempetrum striolatum)
Ryton Wood, Warwickshire
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Common Darter (male)
(Sempetrum striolatum)
Ryton Wood, Warwickshire
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
|
|
|
|
Common Darter (male)
(Sempetrum striolatum)
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Common Darter (female)
(Sempetrum striolatum)
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Common Darter (male)
(Sempetrum striolatum)
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
|
|
|
|
|
Four-spotted Chaser (male)
(Libellula quadrimaculata)
Windmill Hill, Nuneaton
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Four-spotted Chaser (male)
(Libellula quadrimaculata)
Windmill Hill, Nuneaton
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Four-spotted Chaser (male)
(Libellula quadrimaculata)
Windmill Hill, Nuneaton
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
|
|
|
|
|
Ruddy Darter (male)
(Sympetrum sanguineum)
Whitecross Green Wood
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Ruddy Darter (female)
(Sympetrum sanguineum)
Whitecross Green Wood
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Ruddy Darter (female)
(Sympetrum sanguineum)
Whitecross Green Wood
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Ruddy Darter (female)
(Sympetrum sanguineum)
Whitecross Green Wood
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
|
|
|
|
Ruddy Darter (male)
(Sympetrum sanguineum)
Bernwood Meadows
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Ruddy Darter (male)
(Sympetrum sanguineum)
Bernwood Meadows
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Ruddy Darter (female)
(Sympetrum sanguineum)
Bernwood Meadows
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Ruddy Darter (female)
(Sympetrum sanguineum)
Bernwood Meadows
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
|
|
|
|
Ruddy Darter (male)
(Sympetrum sanguineum)
Snitterfield Bushes
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Ruddy Darter (female)
(Sympetrum sanguineum)
Bernwood Meadows
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Ruddy Darter (female)
(Sympetrum sanguineum)
Bernwood Meadows
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
|
|
|
|
|
Scarce Chaser (male)
(Libellula fulva)
Woodwalton Fen
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Scarce Chaser (male)
(Libellula fulva)
Woodwalton Fen
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Scarce Chaser (male)
(Libellula fulva)
Woodwalton Fen
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
Scarce Chaser (male)
(Libellula fulva)
Woodwalton Fen
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
|
|
|
|
Scarce Chaser (male)
(Libellula fulva)
Woodwalton Fen
Photo by Steven Cheshire |
|
|
|
 Indicates that photographs of this species are available above. [r] = rare, [m] = migrant, [rm] = rare migrant, [x] = extinct |
|
| Demoiselles and Damselflies |
Dragonflies |
|
| Family Calopteryigidae |
Demoiselles |
| Family Lestidae |
Emerald Damselflies |
| Emerald Damselfly |
Lestes sponsa |
| Scarce Emerald Damselfly [r] |
Lestes dryas |
| Southern Emerald Damselfly [rm] |
Lestes barbarus |
| Willow Emerald Damselfly [rm] |
Lestes viridis |
| Family Platycnemidida |
White-legged Damselflies |
| Family Coenagrionidae |
Red and Blue/Black Damselflies |
| Azure Damselfly |
Coenagrion puella |
| Blue-tailed Damselfly |
Ischnura elegans |
| Common Blue Damselfly |
Enallagma cyathigerum |
| Dainty Damselfly [Ireland only] |
Coenagrion scitulum |
| Irish Damselfly [x] |
Coenagrion lunulatum |
| Large Red Damselfly |
Pyrrhosoma nymphula |
| Norfolk Damselfly [x] |
Coenagrion armatum |
| Northern Damselfly [r] |
Coenagrion hastulatum |
| Orange-spotted Damselfly [x] |
Oxygastra curtisii |
| Red-eyed Damselfly |
Erythromma najas |
| Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly [r] |
Ischnura pumilio |
| Small Red Damselfly [r] |
Ceriagrion tenellum |
| Small Red-eyed Damselfly |
Erythromma viridulum |
| Southern Damselfly [r] |
Coenagrion mercuriale |
| Variable Damselfly [r] |
Coenagrion pulchellum |
|
|
| Family Aeshnidae |
Hawker Dragonflies |
| Azure Hawker [r] |
Aeshna caerulea |
| Brown Hawker |
Aeshna grandis |
| Common Hawker |
Aeshna juncea |
| Emperor Dragonfly |
Anax imperator |
| Hairy Dragonfly |
Brachytron pratense |
| Lesser Emperor [m] |
Anax parthenope |
| Migrant Hawker |
Aeshna mixta |
| Norfolk Hawker [r] |
Aeshna isosceles |
| Southern Hawker |
Aeshna cyanaea |
| Southern Migrant Hawker [rm] |
Aeshna affinis |
| Vagrant Emperor [rm] |
Hemianax ephippiger |
| Family Gomphidae |
Club-tailed Dragonflies |
| Family Cordulegastridae |
Golden-ringed Dragonflies |
| Family Corduliidae |
Emerald Dragonflies |
| Brilliant Emerald [r] |
Somatochlora metallica |
| Downy Emerald [r] |
Cordulia aenea |
| Northern Emerald [r] |
Somatochlora arctica |
| Family Libellulidae |
Chasers, Skimmers and Darters |
| Banded Darter |
Sympetrum pedemontanum |
| Black Darter |
Sympetrum danae |
| Black-tailed Skimmer |
Orthetrum cancellatum |
| Broad-bodied Chaser |
Libellula depressa |
| Common Darter |
Sympetrum striolatum |
| Four-spotted Chaser |
Libellula quadrimaculata |
| Highland Darter |
Sympetrum nigrescens |
| Keeled Skimmer [r] |
Orthetrum coerulescens |
| Red-veined Darter [rm] |
Sympetrum fonscolombii |
| Ruddy Darter |
Sympetrum sanguineum |
| Scarce Chaser [r] |
Libellula fulva |
| Scarlet Darter |
Crocothemis erythraea |
| Vagrant Darter |
Sympetrum vulgatum |
| Wandering Glider |
Pantala flavescens |
| White-faced Darter [r] |
Leucorrhinia dubia |
| Yellow-winged Darter [rm] |
Sympetrum flaveolum |
|
|
|
|
|
