Dragonfly & Damselfly ID help, Cornwall, UK (1 Viewer)

T

thomasclark1985

Well-known member

• Jun 24, 2018

• #1

Hi,

Here is a photo of a damselfly I photographed this week, is it a Variable Damselfly?

For the dragonfly I'm going with a female Ruddy Darter, or Common Darter. Slightly leaning towards Ruddy Darter though.


Thanks,


Tom

 

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M

Mark Eising

Registered Member

• Jun 28, 2018

• #2

The damselfly is hard to identify from this angle. Do you have a shot on the side of the thorax?
It seems to be a female and thereofre very hard to distinguish it from the Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella).

 

pdwinter

Paul Winter

• Jun 29, 2018

• #3

The damselfly ia a female Azure based on the clear pale hind margin of the pronotum. The darter is an immature male Common Darter - Ruddy has a clubbed rather than parallel sided abdomen.

 

T

thomasclark1985

Well-known member

• Jul 2, 2018

• #4

Damselfly

Hi,

Thanks for the responses. Unfortunately I don’t think I have anymore photos. The reason I went for Variable is because I have a guide showing the abdominal segments and thought it looked more like Variable, should I not pay so much attention to abdominal segments in the guide then, because it looks more like that than any of the others.

Many thanks,

Tom

 

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T

thomasclark1985

Well-known member

• Jul 2, 2018

• #5

Apologies I have just realised my mistake... that is a guide for male abdominal segments! Pity there’s not one for females!

Cheers

 

Andy Adcock

Worst person on Birdforum

• Jul 2, 2018

• #6

Concentrate of the first two body segments when getting photos, on Damselflies, S1 and S2 hold diagnostic marks as shown on the diagram.


A

 

T

thomasclark1985

Well-known member

• Jul 2, 2018

• #7

Thanks Andy, I will do.