Review of 2019 and 2020 - Dragonflies: Demoiselles and Damselflies

DEMOISELLES (family CALOPTERYGIDAE)


Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens - Recorded at the meadows on just 5 dates between 24th June and 3rd August 2019 and 10 dates between 25th May and 20th July 2020 with at least 10 there on 29th June 2019.  Elsewhere singles in my garden on 16th and 24th June 2020 and one at Hindolveston on 6th July.

Banded Demoiselle, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 29th June 2019

Banded Demoiselle, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th May 2020

Banded Demoiselle, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 1st June 2020

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EMERALD DAMSELFLIES (family LESTIDAE)


Emerald Damselfly Lestes sponsa - At least 40 at Winterton on 19th August 2019.  These included a strange reddish individual which didn't seem to just be an artefact of the light as it remained red-looking from different angles and in both sun and shade.  At the time several people commented that they hadn't seen one like this before, but I have since seen other photos showing similar individuals (and a Scarce Emerald Damselfly showing a similar appearance).  A male at Whitwell Street near Reepham on 12th August was my only record in 2020 although after reviewing photos of some Lestes taken at Thompson Common on 7th August I think one or more of those may have been this species too.  The angles aren't ideal for seeing the really critical features but some characters seem suggestive of this species.

Emerald Dameslflies, Winterton, 19th August 2019

probable Emerald Dameslfly, Thompson Common, 7th August 2020

Emerald Dameslfly, Whitwell Street, 12th August 2020

Scarce Emerald Damselfly Lestes dryas - At least one at Thompson Common on 7th August 2020.  This was the only Emerald Damselfly species I identified in the field and I imagined that all 8 or so seen were probably the same, although I relied on the photos being good enough to confirm at home.  In fact most of the photos didn't show the critical features clearly enough but at least some seemed to favour Emerald Damselfly and much more surprisingly one showed a pair of Willow Emerald Damselflies.  This red female isn't at the perfect angle but I think I can see enough on here to confirm it as Scarce - it seems very robust and the ovipositor appears quite large.

female Scarce Emerald Dameslfly, Thompson Common, 7th August 2020

Southern Emerald Damselfly Lestes barbarus - One at Winterton on 19th August 2019.  This was my main target for this trip.  Remarkably the individual we saw wasn't the one that had been seen on previous days.  Sadly it never settled for long and quickly disappeared, so although I got adequate views to be happy with the ID I was unable to get any photos.  Having not been for these in the past this was my first UK record although I've seen them in southern Europe before.


Willow Emerald Damselfly Lestes viridis - None identified in the field but to my surprise I later discovered that I had photographed a pair at Thompson Common on 7th August 2020.  Although I've never made the effort to twitch this species in the UK I have seen them in southern Europe and I thought I knew them well enough to not overlook them in the field.  I even looked at the photos on my computer after returning home and didn't spot them straight away!  In my defence, they original photo was badly lit and quite dark which meant (a) the spurs on the side of the thorax weren't discernible at all and (b) the male looked as though it had fairly strong blue pruinose.  I think it was the latter than put me off the scent but when I checked them again just prior to preparing this blog post I noticed the pale pterostigmas.  After editing the photos and lightening up the dark areas I could see that the pruinose wasn't as extensive as it had looked and the elongated spurs on the side of the thorax were present.

Willow Emerald Dameslflies, Thompson Common, 7th August 2020

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BLUE and RED DAMSELFLIES (family COENAGRIONIDAE)


Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans - 6 at Winterton on 19th August 2019.  Surprisingly I have found this species to be very scarce at the meadows - I only saw one in 2018, one in 2020 and didn't manage to find any in 2019.  One at Hindolveston in 2020 was my only other record.  Are these getting scarce or is it just that I haven't done enough dragonflying in suitable habitat recently - I used to see these all over the place and often in good numbers.

Blue-tailed Damselfly, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 20th July 2020

Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum - Regularly encountered at the meadows between 22nd May and 15th August 2019 and between 27th May and 20th July 2020, though never in high numbers (single figure counts only).

Common Blue Damselfly, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th August 2019

Common Blue Damselfly, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th May 2020

Common Blue Damselfly, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 20th June 2020

Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella - 2019 seemed to be a poor year with just two records at the meadows involving 4 individuals, on 25th May and 4th June.  It may be partly due to the limited range of places I visited in 2019 but this was a stark showing of a species that I usually see on many occasions during the course of a year and often in very large numbers.  2020 was only a little better with up to 10 at the meadows on 7 dates between 25th May and 6th July.  Also one in the garden on 19th June 2020.

Azure Damselfly, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th May 2020

Azure Damselfly, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th May 2020

Small Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma viridulum - At least 30 at Winterton on 19th August 2019.

Small Red-eyed Damselfly, Winterton, 19th August 2019

Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula - A total of 18 recorded at the meadows on 6 dates between 30th April and 25th May 2019 and 21 between 24th April and 3rd June 2020.  Also recorded on Mull in June 2019.

Large Red Damselfly, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May 2019

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Silo pallipes - a new caddisfly

The highlight on the night of 25th May was a Small Clouded Brindle.  I could have sworn I'd seen these here before but it turns out I hadn't - indeed I'd only seen one before anywhere.

Small Clouded Brindle, North Elmham, 25th May

Four other species were new for the year: 7 Buff Rush Case-bearers Coleophora caespititiella, 2 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, and Pale Oak Beauty.

Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 25th May

Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, North Elmham, 25th May

Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, North Elmham, 25th May

Pale Oak Beauty, North Elmham, 25th May

Other moths that night were Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Common Cosmet Mompha epilobiella, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, 4 Common Swifts, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Silver-ground Carpet, Common Marbled Carpet, 2 Green Carpets, 3 Common Pugs, Clouded Border, 2 Brimstone Moths, White-pinion Spotted, Light Emerald, Eyed Hawk-moth, 2 White Ermines, 3 Cinnabars, Bright-line Brown-eye, Brown Rustic, Marbled Minor, 9 Treble Lines and Spectacle. Also Common Earwig and Cockchafer.

Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet (female, gen det), North Elmham, 25th May

Next day there were Azure, Common Blue and Large Red Damseflies at Ryburgh where moths included Yellow-barred Long-horn Nemophora degeerella, Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana and Green Carpet.

Yellow-barred Long-horn Nemophora degeerella, Ryburgh, 26th May

Common Blue Damselfly, Ryburgh, 26th May

Following on from the 7 on 25th I trapped 13 Buff Rush Case-bearers Coleophora caespititiella on 26th - easily a record count, though that would be beaten a couple of nights later.

New species for the year were Bird's-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, 3 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, Blood-vein, May Highflyer, Brown Silver-line, Buff-tip, Rustic Shoulder-knot and 2 Straw Dots.

Bird's-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, North Elmham, 26th May

Hook-streaked Grass-veneer Crambus lathoniellus, North Elmham, 26th May

Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, North Elmham, 26th May

Blood-vein, North Elmham, 26th May

May Highflyer, North Elmham, 26th May

Brown Silver-line, North Elmham, 26th May

Buff-tip, North Elmham, 26th May

Rustic Shoulder-knot, North Elmham, 26th May

Other moths that night were Yellow-triangle Slender Caloptilia alchimiella, Dark-barred Tortrix Syndemis musculana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Plum Tortrixes Hedya pruniana, 2 Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana, 2 Yellow-faced Bells Notocelia cynosbatella, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, 4 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, False Cacao Moth Ephestia unicolorella, Common Swift, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, 3 Silver-ground Carpets, 2 Common Marbled Carpets, 2 Green Carpets, Sandy Carpet, Mottled Pug, 14 Common Pugs, Clouded Border, Brimstone Moth, 2 Waved Umbers, Pale Oak Beauty, White-pinion Spotted, 2 Light Emeralds, Pale Tussock, 2 Orange Footmen, 4 White Ermines, Buff Ermine, 5 Cinnabars, Least Black Arches, Heart and Dart, Shuttle-shaped Dart, 2 Brown Rustics, Clouded-bordered Brindle, 13 Treble Lines and Spectacle.

Least Black Arches, North Elmham, 26th May

The only beetle was a Cockchafer but two caddisflies included a new one for me, Silo pallipes (also Glyphotaelius pellucidus).

Silo pallipes (male), North Elmham, 26th May