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Another Dragon ID (1 Viewer)

Mick Harris

Well-known member
United Kingdom
Wondered if this is a Ruddy rather than a Common.
Taken in the Ashdown Forest, Sussex yesterday.

Thanks for looking

Mick H.
 

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Hi Mick, as I,m always being told, first point of ref. legs. If they are "Black" its a Ruddy. If they are Black with yellow stripe running down them ,its a Common.Also yellow thoracic stripe tells us its a Common.No stripe points towards a Ruddy.A side shot and a head on shot can be very useful in i.d.ing Dragons. I hope this is helpful. :t:
 
A Ruddy Common

Hi Mick, as I,m always being told, first point of ref. legs. If they are "Black" its a Ruddy. If they are Black with yellow stripe running down them ,its a Common.Also yellow thoracic stripe tells us its a Common.No stripe points towards a Ruddy.A side shot and a head on shot can be very useful in i.d.ing Dragons. I hope this is helpful. :t:

Thanks it's very helpful ...once more

Mick
 
as I,m always being told, first point of ref. legs. If they are "Black" its a Ruddy. If they are Black with yellow stripe running down them ,its a Common.Also yellow thoracic stripe tells us its a Common.No stripe points towards a Ruddy.

Be careful when identifying Ruddy Darters based on these features late in the year! They are useful features to look for during the summer, but later in the autumn I think that a lot of Common Darters are incorrectly identified as Ruddy's.
Many dragonflies naturally become darker as they age, and for Common Darters this often means that the legs become almost black (the yellow stripe is usually still visible in the hand), and the sides of the thorax lose the yellow stripes and become a uniform brown.

This individual is (as you suspected) a Common Darter - the abdomen shape is different and the legs are not the black colour you would expect for a Ruddy Darter.


Roy.
 
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