Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) | Species | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(1/100th sec at F14. Approx 4x life size.) 
(1/250th sec at F14. Approx 2.75x life size.) 
(1/125th sec at F13. Approx 2x life size.) © David HastingsDescriptionWingspan: 38 - 48 mm; Body length: 33 - 36 mmThe Large Red Damselfly is often the first damselfly to emerge, usually in April or May. It can occur in large numbers around well-vegetated still or slowly moving water. Fast running waters are avoided. The male Large Red Damselfly has a mostly red body, but the eigth segment is dark and there are two dark bands on the tail. It also has two red antehumeral stripes on the thorax. Teneral males have yellow antehumeral stripes, which change to red when fully mature. Females occur in three colour forms, but all have yellow bands around the abdominal segments. They have red (sometimes yellow) antehumeral stripes. Both sexes have black legs and red eyes. Eggs are laid in batches of about 350 on submerged vegetation. Larvae live among bottom vegetation and debris, and are unusually territorial. They develop over 1-3, but usually 2 years, and many emerge synchronously on spring mornings. Males emerge slightly earlier and in larger numbers than females, maturing in 12 days (four days earlier than females). Males defend their territories vigourously. Sightings
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