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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Hills and Holes (Hockham)

Saturday 9th July was the Norfolk Moth Survey event at Hills and Holes near Hockham.  A superb site that I've never been to before - in fact it was completely off my radar and I never even knew it existed.  Dave and I set our lights in one area and it was so good that we never left it to go and see what the others had in their traps.  We totalled 114 species including multiple individuals of 2 species I'd never seen before: 3 Bugloss Case-bearers Coleophora pennella and 5 White-strap Sobers Syncopacma larseniella.

White-strap Sobers Syncopacma larseniella, Hills and Holes, 9th July

Bugloss Case-bearers Coleophora pennella (male above & female below, gen det), Hills and Holes, 9th July

My first ever NMS event at Weston Park in 2011 produced a white Coleophora which I put down as kuhlweiniella based on the fact that a diffierent individual that I didn't see was collected and confirmed as that species.  In hindsight that was flawed logic - no reason at all to assume they were both the same species and the one I saw wasn't checked.  So although it was already on my list, the gen detted White Oak Case-bearer Coleophora kuehnella from Hills and Holes probably should have been my third lifer of the night. Grotty worn specimen though!

White Oak Case-bearer Coleophora kuehnella (male, gen det), Hills and Holes, 9th July

Other good micros included 3 Dotted Ermels Ethmia dodecea, White-shouldered Sober Sophronia semicostella and Ash-coloured Sober Acompsia cinerella.

White-shouldered Sober Sophronia semicostella, Hills and Holes, 9th July

The rest of the micros were 3 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Tipped Oak Case-bearer Coleophora flavipennella, 5 Grey Rush Case-bearers Coleophora glaucicolella, Common Rush Case-bearer Coleophora alticolella, Meadow Neb Metzneria metzneriella, 3 Water-mint Conches Phalonidia manniana, 2 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, Burdock Conch Aethes rubigana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, Variegated Golden Tortrix Archips xylosteana, 3 Orange Pine Tortrixes Lozotaeniodes formosana, 2 Red-barred Tortrixes Ditula angustiorana, 3 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, 2 Yellow Oak Buttons Aleimma loeflingiana, 2 Green Oak Tortrixes Tortrix viridana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Pine Marbles Piniphila bifasciana, White-backed Marble Hedya salicella, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, 2 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana, 7 Orange-spotted Shoots Rhyacionia pinicolana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, 80 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, Yellow Satin Veneer Crambus perlella, 2 Pearl Grass-veneers Catoptria pinella, Water Veneer Acentria ephemerella, Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Brown China-mark Elophila nymphaeata, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Chequered Straw Evergestis pallidata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella, 2 Twin-barred Knot-horns Homoeosoma sinuella, 5 Brown Plumes Stenoptilia pterodactyla and White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla.

Orange Pine Tortrix Lozotaeniodes formosana, Hills and Holes, 9th July

White-backed Marble Hedya salicella, Hills and Holes, 9th July

Orange-spotted Shoots Rhyacionia pinicolana, Hills and Holes, 9th July

Water-mint Conch Phalonidia manniana (female, gen det), Hills and Holes, 9th July

The best macro was one of the last moths found, a fantastic Festoon.  I've only seen a couple before and both of those were seen in pots having been found by other people on events like this, so my first opportunity to get a reasonable photo.

Festoon, Hills and Holes, 9th July

One Cream Wave sp. looked for all the world like a Cream Wave, including its size, wing shape and wing markings, but it would be a very late date for that.  I gen detted it and it proved to be one of 8 Lesser Cream Waves, but it did make me wonder whether these two species can be wholly reliably identified without dissection, especially if they are not at the extremes of size.

Other macros were 2 Ghost Moths, Buff Arches, Figure of Eighty, Small Fan-footed Wave, Dwarf Cream Wave, Large Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Shaded Broad-bars, Common Carpet, Barred Straw, Blue-bordered Carpet, Brown Scallop, Toadflax Pug, Green Pug, Clouded Magpie, 3 Brown Silver-lines, Brimstone Moth, Swallow-tailed Moth, 2 Peppered Moths, Willow Beauty, Mottled Beauty, 2 Engraileds, 3 Clouded Silvers, Barred Red, 2 Pine Hawkmoths, Elephant Hawkmoth, Swallow Prominent, 2 Buff-tips, Yellow-tail, White Satin, Rosy Footman, Red-necked Footman, Four-dotted Footman, 2 Dingy Footmen, Scarce Footman, Buff Footman, Short-cloaked Moth, Heart and Club, Flame, Flame Shoulder, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, Dot Moth, Brown-line Bright-eye, Clay, 2 Smoky Wainscots, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, 2 Poplar Greys, Sycamore, Miller, Grey Dagger, 3 Coronets, Small Angle Shades, 2 Dark Arches, Light Arches, Clouded Brindle, Slender Brindle, Ear Moth, 3 Marbled White Spots, Green Silver-lines, Burnished Brass, Silver Y, Beautiful Golden Y, Spectacle, 2 Blacknecks, Beautiful Hook-tip, Straw Dot, Snout and Small Fan-foot.

Blackneck, Hills and Holes, 9th July

Brown Scallop, Hills and Holes, 9th July

Coronets, Hills and Holes, 9th July

Miller, Hills and Holes, 9th July

Red-necked Footman, Hills and Holes, 9th July

Ear Moth (male, gen det), Hills and Holes, 9th July

Pine Hawkmoth, Hills and Holes, 9th July

Clouded Brindle, Hills and Holes, 9th July

Toadflax Pug, Hills and Holes, 9th July

Best of the other things were a pair of Scarce Emerald Damselflies that spent the evening on my sheet.  It's 17 years since I last saw these!

Scarce Emerald Damselflies, Hills and Holes, 9th July

Also the green lacewing Chrysopa perla and 2 Honey Bees.  I didn't pay too much attention to the caddisflies as I haven't got time to sort them all out in the peak moth season (not this year anyway), but I did retain one - and it turned out to be a new one for me, Ceraclea fulva.