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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More Garden Tigers

On the night of Saturday 22nd July there weren't so many moths but there was another Garden Tiger, a real surprise despite having one a few days earlier.

Garden Tiger, North Elmham, 22nd July

The other moths caught that night were Willow Bent-wing Phyllocnistis saligna, 2 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Wainscot Smudge Ypsolopha scabrella, Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, Cinereous Groundling Bryotropha terrella, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, Common Cosmet Mompha epilobiella, Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, 2 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 3 Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, 50 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 7 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Pearl Grass-veneers Catoptria pinella, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, 2 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Chinese Character, 2 Blood-veins, Small Blood-vein, Dwarf Cream Wave, 3 Single-dotted Waves, 7 Riband Waves, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Shaded Broad-bar, Double-striped Pug, 2 Clouded Borders, Peppered Moth, 2 Pale Prominents, 3 Yellow-tails, Round-winged Muslin, Rosy Footman, 3 Dingy Footmen, Scarce Footman, 19 Common Footmen, Buff Ermine, 2 Ruby Tigers, Flame Shoulder, Common Rustic, Uncertain, 5 Nut-tree Tussocks and Straw Dot.

A Dichochrysa flavifrons was the only Lacewing and Limnephilus lunatus the only caddisfly.

We had another go trapping next door with their grandsons and caught some nice moths to show them there including this Oak Eggar and a lovely White Satin, both species I haven't caught at home this year.

Oak Eggar, North Elmham, 22nd July

Other moths I made a note of (by no means a complete list) were Ribwort Slender Aspilapteryx tringipennella (I was surprised how entertained the children were by such a small micro moth - I think it was the size contrast between this and the Oak Eggar that captivated them), Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 60 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 2 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, 3 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Buff Arches, Blood-vein, Small Blood-vein, 2 Single-dotted Waves, July Highflyer, 2 Yellow-tails, Dingy Footman, Scarce Footman, 3 Common Footmen, Ruby Tiger, Heart and Dart, Uncertain, 5 Rustics, 3 Nut-tree Tussocks and 2 Straw Dots.  The Nut-tree Tussocks are always a favourite with the children, sitting on their fingers so obligingly.

During the afternoon (Sunday 23rd) Dave and I headed out to the patch at Bittering.  There were a few moths on the wing there including 6 Colt’s-foot Bells Epiblema sticticana, 4 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, Blood-vein, Lesser Cream Wave, 3 Shaded Broad-bars, Lime-speck Pug, Silver Y and 2 Straw Dots.

Colt's-foot Bell Epiblema sticticana (male, gen det), Bittering, 23rd July

Plenty of butterflies there too including Brown Argus, 2 Common Blues, 20 Meadow Browns, 2 Gatekeepers, 2 Essex Skippers and Small Skipper.  The dragonflies produced more interest.  Joe Harkness had discovered some Red-veined Darters here a while back and we hoped they might still be present.  They were, albeit looking much tattier than they had been when Joe (and later Dave) first saw them.  Hard to say how many, partly because they were quite mobile and partly because some weren't seen well enough to rule out Ruddy Darter, but I'm reasonably confident there were at least 5 Red-veined Darters.

Red-veined Darters, Bittering, 23rd July

Other dragonflies included 2 Blue-tailed Damselflies, 30+ Common Blue Damselflies, 2 Small Red-eyed Damselflies, 3 Emperors, 6+ Black-tailed Skimmers and Common Darter.

Small Red-eyed Damselflies, Bittering, 23rd July

Emperor, Bittering, 23rd July

We found several distinctive-looking leafhoppers in one place, a new species for me I was sure.  I retained one in case I wouldn't be able to ID it from photos (not least because it was hard to get any photos in the field).  They turned out to be Cicadella viridis, apparently a common species.

Cicadella viridis, Bittering, 23rd July

We also found a bush-cricket (I think there were several but I'm not sure if my memory of that is correct) which I suspected would be one of the Coneheads (should have really figured out which one, given its long wings).  It was indeed a Long-winged Conehead.  Among my photos is one that appears to have short wings, so perhaps a Short-winged Conehead too, but with just one poor photo I am not certain (say if you think I should be!).

Long-winged Conehead(s?), Bittering, 23rd July

possible Short-winged Conehead, Bittering, 23rd July

That night there were no new moths for the year at home.  Another Campion, hot on the heels of my first here, was the star moth.  The rest were 2 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Hedge Case-bearer Coleophora striatipennella, Speckled Case-bearer Coleophora sternipennella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Cinereous Groundling Bryotropha terrella, 2 Orange Crests Helcystogramma rufescens, Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, 6 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, 4 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 48 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 6 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 3 Pearl Grass-veneers Catoptria pinella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Chequered Straw Evergestis pallidata, 2 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Ash-bark Knot-horn Euzophera pinguis, Brown Plume Stenoptilia pterodactyla, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Large Emerald, 2 Least Carpets, 2 Small Fan-footed Waves, 5 Single-dotted Waves, 6 Riband Waves, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Common Carpets, Small Rivulet, 2 Double-striped Pugs, 4 Early Thorns, Pebble Prominent, Swallow Prominent, Buff-tip, Rosy Footman, 6 Dingy Footmen, Scarce Footman, 10 Common Footmen, 2 Buff Ermines, 2 Ruby Tigers, Nutmeg, Dun-bar, 2 Dark Arches, 2 Common Rustics (and another Common Rustic agg.), Rustic, Nut-tree Tussock, Straw Dot and Snout.

Other insects included Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum (mayfly), 2 Hydropsyche siltalai (caddisflies), Nicrophorus investigator and 2 Aphodius rufipes (beetles).

Nicrophorus investigator, North Elmham, 23rd July

For reasons that are now utterly unclear I put this leafhopper down as the brown form of Iassus lanio.  Clearly it isn't that (I can't understand why I thought it was) but I no longer have the specimen and can't yet identify it from my photos.

unidentified leafhopper, North Elmham, 23rd July

Next door's grandchildren were due to head home today so this was the last time we set the trap in their garden and went through it with them.  The older boy had remembered the Buff-tip I showed them last year and recognised the one I brought round from my trap today.  I'd also brought them round the Garden Tiger I caught here the day before to show them but I needn't have done as now they got their own - and not just one but 2 Garden Tigers.  Four Garden Tigers over a few days either in my garden or next-door's is amazing these days - must be a good year for them.  Backing that up I've heard of 2-3 other people seeing them in places they don't usually get them.

I'm really kicking myself over what I identified as a Dusky Thorn.  It struck me as early so I should have looked at it more closely, but it was only after seeing my next Dusky Thorn, several weeks later, that it really struck home how early it was.  Not impossibly early, but I'm really wishing I'd checked it for August Thorn a bit more carefully - some August Thorns have a dusky rear border to the wings and I'm now not 100% sure I didn't overlook one here - it would have been a lifer for me if it was.

They also got 2 Maple Pugs, a species I've not yet recorded at home this year, and White-spotted Pug which I don't see many of.

Maple Pugs (females, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd July

Other moths included (again not complete counts) Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Wainscot Smudge Ypsolopha scabrella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta, Burdock Conch Aethes rubigana, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, Cereal Tortrix Cnephasia pumicana, other Cnephasia sp., Pine Marble Piniphila bifasciana, Pearl Veneer Agriphila straminella, Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella, Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis, Small Fan-footed Wave, Single-dotted Wave, Riband Wave, Lime-speck Pug, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Scalloped Oak, Willow Beauty, Brown-tail, Yellow-tail, Rosy Footman, Dingy Footman, Scarce Footman, Common Footman, Buff Ermine, Ruby Tiger, Heart and Dart, 3 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 2 Flame Shoulders, Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Least Yellow Underwing, Nutmeg, Small Angle Shades, Dun-bar, Dark Arches, Cloaked Minor, Common Rustic agg., Uncertain, Rustic and Straw Dot. Plenty of variety to entertain the children before they head off for another year!

Least Yellow Underwing, North Elmham, 23rd July

Small Red-eyed Damsels on the patch and two new moths for the house

Had a look round the patch on 21st August, primarily for birds but also for insects.  At Hell Pit the latter included Banded Demoiselle and Southern Hawker representing the dragonflies, Green-veined White, Common Blue, 5 Meadow Browns and 4 Speckled Woods representing the butterflies, Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana, Yellow-spot Tortrix Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, 2 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella and Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis representing the moths, and a Harlequin Ladybird.

The nearby gravel workings produced fewer insects but a few damselflies at the edge of a pool there.  Most were Common Blue Damselflies but among them were at least 9 Small Red-eyed Damselflies, the first time I've seen this species on the patch.

Small Red-eyed Damselflies, Bittering, 21st August

The other end of the patch isn't much good at the moment so only stopped briefly - one Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis was the only insect I noted.

That night was a bit of an improvement on the moth front compared to recent days.  Two species were new for the house - my second ever Long-winged Shade Cnephasia longana and a Triple-spotted Pug.

Long-winged Shade Cnephasia longana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st August

Triple-spotted Pug (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st August

Also new for the year was this Purple Argent Argyresthia albistria.

Purple Argent Argyresthia albistria, North Elmham, 21st August

Other moths were Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis corylana, 3 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Round-winged Drill Dichrorampha simpliciana, 4 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 7 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 5 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 3 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Orange Swifts, Riband Wave, Garden Carpet, 2 Common Carpets, Green Carpet, 3 Yellow-barred Brindles, 11 Brimstone Moths, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Dusky Thorn, Willow Beauty, Dingy Footman, Shuttle-shaped Dart, 6 Flame Shoulders, Large Yellow Underwing, 3 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Six-striped Rustic, Square-spot Rustic, Dark Arches, Common Rustic, 3 Flounced Rustics and 11 Straw Dots.

Other insects included the Green Lacewing Cunctochrysa albolineata, caddisflies Glyphotaelius pellucidus (2) and Limnephilus rhombicus; also Forest Bug (Red-legged Shieldbug) and Harlequin Ladybird.