Dragonflies and Damselflies
Dragonflies and damselflies belong to the order of insects called Odonata. They all have two pairs
of densely veined wings, and long, ten-segmented bodies which are often brightly coloured. Dragonflies
are a very old order: fossils of dragonfly-like insects are know from Carboniferous rocks 350 million years old.
Odonata are divided into two suborders: dragonflies are placed in Anisoptera, and damselflies in
Zygoptera. There are about 5700 Odonata species known in the world today.
Of the 52 species recorded in Britain, 38 have established breeding populations, one has dubious
taxanomic validity, three formerly resident species have become extinct since 1950, and ten species
are migrants, none of which has established a viable breeding population. The Small Red-eyed Damselfly
appeared in Britain in 2000, and is slowly increasing its range.
Dragonfly behaviour is driven by the following biological characteristics:
- Dragonflies are amphibious. The larvae live under water, adults on land and in the air. The larva
sheds its skin several times as it grows. When it is fully grown, it leaves the water, moults for the
last time and expands its wings and abdomen. When these have hardened sufficiently, it flies off as an
adult dragonfly. Unlike other insects, dragonflies do not pupate.
- Dragonflies are predators. Both the larvae and adults are hunters. Most prey is invertebrate, but a
large larva may catch tadpoles and small fish.
- Dragonflies have a unique method of reproduction, with indirect insemination and delayed fertilization.
Sperm is transfered by the male from the abdomen tip to the secondary genitalia at the abdomen base, from
where it is passed on to the female. Eggs are not fertilised until they are laid, meaning that males can
remove sperm of rival males if they succeed in copulating with a mated female.
These characteristics explain many things about dragonfly behaviour, such as the fierce defence of waterside territories
by males, feeding swarms, the heart-shaped mating wheel, and the male hovering above the female as she
oviposits.
Sightings in 2010
| 28-Aug | : | Just one each of Common and Ruddy Darters seen at Dry Sandford Pit, as well as one very
late Southern Damselfly. |
| 22-Aug | : | I visited Tophill Low in East Yorkshire today. I saw the following: Common and Ruddy Darters, Southern and Migrant Hawkers, and a couple of
Azure Damselflies. |
| 15-Aug | : | I visited Otmoor today, where there were many Common and Ruddy Darters, four Brown Hawkers,
two Southern Hawkers, six Emerald Damselflies and a single female Azure Damselfly. |
| 24-Jul | : | Whitecross Green Wood: Common Darter, Brown Hawker, Southern Hawker, Migrant Hawker and Ruddy Darter;
Bernwood Forest: Southern Hawker, Ruddy Darter and Common Darter; Otmoor: Brown Hawker and Common Darter. |
| 19-Jul | : | I visited the Whelford Pools nature reserve near RAF Fairford today. By far the
most numerous species was the Azure Damselfly - there were hundreds of them. A few Blue-tailed damsels were present as well. Also two Emperors, three Brown Hawkers, five or six Common Darters and a Banded Demoiselle. Later at Dry Sandford Pit I saw one Keeled Skimmer and two Southern Hawkers. |
| 16-Jul | : | An Emperor was patrolling the spectators' grandstand at RAF Fairford today. |
| 11-Jul | : | At Bernwood Forest today I recorded Emperor Dragonfly (1), Brown Hawker (several),
Common Darter (many) and Southern Hawker (1). Later at Otmoor I saw Ruddy and Common Darters (many), Brown Hawker (several) and a Four-spotted Chaser. |
| 10-Jul | : | At Cothill Fen this morning I recorded Keeled Skimmer (5 males & 5 females), Emperor
Dragonfly (2), Brown Hawker (3), Small Red Damselfly (5) and Azure Damselfly (10). |
| 04-Jul | : | There were hundreds of teneral Common Darters at Whitecross Green Wood this morning.
Also four Emperors, three Brown Hawkers and a Common Blue Damselfly. The Common Darter emergence was mirrored on Otmoor. A few Ruddy Darters
were also seen, as were quite a few Azure Damselflies, a few Blue-tailed Damselflies, a couple of Common Emerald Damselflies and a couple of Brown Hawkers. |
| 01-Jul | : | Seen at Dry Sandford Pit today were just a few Azure Damselflies. |
| 29-Jun | : | Seen in Vienne, France: Common Blue Damselfly; Green-eyed Hooktail; Orange-spotted Emerald;
Broad-bodied Chaser; Black-tailed and White-tailed Skimmer; Broad Scarlet; Red-veined and Common Darter.
| | 28-Jun | : | Seen in Vienne, France: Orange White-legged Damselfly; Small Red, Goblet-marked
and Small Red-eyed Damselflies; Emperor Dragonfly; Western Clubtail; Green-eyed Hooktail;
Orange-spotted Emerald; Keeled, Black-tailed and White-tailed Skimmer; Broad Scarlet.
|
| 27-Jun | : | La Brenne, France:
Azure, Orange White-legged and White-legged Damselfly; Yellow Clubtail; Orange-spotted Emerald.
Pinail reserve: Common Emerald Damselfly; Emperor Dragonfly;
Downy Emerald; Four-spotted Chaser; Yellow-Spotted Whiteface;
|
| 26-Jun | : | La Brenne, France: Banded and Beautiful Demoiselle; Common Emerald Damselfly;
Azure, Large Red, White-legged and Blue-tailed Damselfly;
Yellow-spotted and Brilliant Emerald; Four-spotted Chaser;
Black-tailed and Keeled Skimmer;
Broad Scarlet; Ruddy and Common Darters. |
| 25-Jun | : | La Brenne, France: Banded and Beautiful Demoiselles;
Small Red, Azure, Dainty, Blue-tailed and Red-eyed Damselfly;
Emperor and Lesser Emperor Dragonfly;
Common Clubtail; Four-spotted Chaser; Black-tailed and White-tailed Skimmer; Lilypad Whiteface; Broad Scarlet; Ruddy and Common Darters.
|
| 24-Jun | : | La Brenne, France: Banded and Beautiful Demoiselle;
Common, Southern and Small Emerald Damselflies;
Azure , Blue-tailed and White-legged Damselfly;
Emperor Dragonfly; Norfolk Hawker; Broad-bodied and Four-spotted Chaser;
Black-tailed and White-tailed Skimmers; Broad Scarlet; Ruddy Darter. |
| 22-Jun | : | At Bullfield Lake this morning I saw the following: Azure (many), Blue-tailed (10), Common Blue (5)
and Red-eyed (5) Damselflies, at least three Emperors, several Four-spotted Chasers, a couple of Black-tailed Skimmers and a Downy Emerald. |
| 21-Jun | : | Noted at Dry Sandford Pit today were small numbers of Azure, Large Red and Southern Damselflies. |
| 20-Jun | : | There were many Azure Damselflies (100+) at Chimney Meadow today, as well as
some Common Blue Damselflies (20) and Banded Demosoiselles (25). |
| 13-Jun | : | The species of the day at Otmoor was the Azure Damselfly - the number went
into three figures. There were around two dozen Blue-tailed damselflies, one Large Red damselfly and one Banded Demoiselle. Also around 7 or
8 Four-spotted Chasers (including one of the form praenubila), a couple of Common Darters, and three Brown Hawkers. |
| 12-Jun | : | There were 50+ Common Blue damselflies at Farmoor this afternoon. At Dry Sandford Pit
I recorded one ovipositing female Broad-bodied Chaser, two male Keeled Skimmers, half a dozen Large Red Damselflies and one male Banded Demoiselle.
There was a small blue damselfly which may have been Southern, bit I couldn't positively identify it. |
| 06-Jun | : | There were many Common Blue and Azure damselflies at Farmoor this afternoon, some
Banded Demoiselle, a few Blue-tailed and Large Red damselflies, and a single Four-spotted Chaser. I also watched a linked pair of Azure
damselflies turn into a mating wheel. |
| 05-Jun | : | I recorded the Southern Damselfly (another first for me) at Dry Sandford Pit this
morning (1 m, 2f). Also a few male Large Red Damselflies. |
| 31-May | : | A few Common Blue damselflies were recorded at
Farmoor reservoir this evening. |
| 30-May | : | Blue-tailed, possible Southern, and Large Red damselflies were recorded at
Dry Sandford Pit this morning. |
| 23-May | : | A trip to the railway bridge over the Thames near Goring turned up five
newly-emerged Common Clubtails (first time I'd seen this species) and a few Banded Demoiselles. |
| 22-May | : | Lots of Large Red Damselflies at Dry Sandford Pit today. I found three
linked pairs where the females were ovipositing. |
| 21-May | : | At least one Hairy Hawker seen at Otmoor today. Also several Four-spotted Chasers. On the
damselfly front I logged Common Blue, Azure, Large Red and a teneral Blue-tailed. |
| 16-May | : | I found a teneral Large Red Damselfly in the garden today. |
| 15-May | : | Half a dozen teneral male Large Red Damselflies seen at Dry Sandford Pit this morning.
Steve Burch had a Downy Emerald at Otmoor, which is apparently the first record of this species from there. |
| 28-Apr | : | Possible Hairy Hawker seen at Otmoor this afternoon. |
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