Small Red Damselfly (Ceriagrion tenellum)
Species
Male Small Red Damselfly (Ceriagrion tenellum). Taken at Cothill Fen, Oxon, on June 10th 2010. Approx 5x lifesize.
Male. Taken at Cothill Fen, Oxon, on June 10th 2010. Click image for larger version.
(1/125th sec at F13. Approx 3.5x life size.)
Female Small Red Damselfly (Ceriagrion tenellum). Taken at Crockford Stream, Hants, on July 16th 2011. Approx 4.5x lifesize.
Female (f. typica). Taken at Crockford Stream, Hants, on July 16th 2011. Click image for larger version.
(1/160th sec at F13. Approx 2.75x life size.)
Small Red Damselflies in cop (Ceriagrion tenellum). Taken at Persec, Vienne, France on June 28th 2010. Approx 4x lifesize.
Pair in cop. Taken at Persec, Vienne, France on June 28th 2010. Click image for larger version.
(1/200th sec at F14. Approx 1x life size.)

© David Hastings

Description

Wing span: 30 - 42 mm; body length: 25 - 35 mm
 
A very small damselfly, about 15% smaller than the Large Red Damselfly. It flies weakly at heathland bogs and streams in southern England and west Wales. The flight season is July and August.
 
This species is easy to identify as the male has an all-red abdomen, reddish legs and pterostigma, and no postocular spots. There are three female colour forms. The most common has a bronze-black abdomen, apart from S1-3 and S9-10 which are mostly red.
 
Eggs are laid in submerged vegetation, hatching after about a month. They develop over two years.
 
This species is nationally scarce in the UK.

Sightings

17-Jul-2011:Wootton Copse, Hants (1f)
15-Jul-2011:Crockford Stream, Hants (1m, 1f)
02-Jul-2011:Cothill Fen, Oxon (5m)
10-Jul-2010:Cothill Fen, Oxon
28-Jun-2010:Persec, Vienne, France
25-Jun-2010:The Brenne, France