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Dragonfly IDs please (1 Viewer)

Macswede

Macswede

Macswede
Here are three pictures from my holiday in Finnish Karelia during the second 2 weeks in August.

One is of an empty pupal case (probably not the correct terminology). I have no idea if it's even possible to identify those. I think it's quite a good picture though - unlike the other 2.

The second is of a large egg-laying (I think) female. It was hard to focus on her through the grass. She kept moving from place to place and i didn't want to disturb her.

The third is of a smaller red dragonfly. It was predominately red but the red spots on the wings may be a colour abberation. I'm not sure.

Hope somebody might find it challenging to identify them!

Graham
 

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Number two is Aeshna grandis (Brown Hawker).

The last one looks like Sympetrum flaveolum (Yellow-winged Darter).

I won't attempt the exuvia.
 
brianhstone said:
Number two is Aeshna grandis (Brown Hawker).

The last one looks like Sympetrum flaveolum (Yellow-winged Darter).

I won't attempt the exuvia.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Brian,

I found a site that lists all the dragonflies and damselflies to be found at my local patch so I can usually identify those as there aren't so many to choose between. Get a bit confused when I stray further afield though.

Just learned a new work: exuvia !

Graham
 
Exuvia (singular exuvium??) can usually be identified with the help of a decent ID guide, but probably not from a photo.

Nice photo of the darter.

James
 
brianhstone said:
Number two is Aeshna grandis (Brown Hawker).

The last one looks like Sympetrum flaveolum (Yellow-winged Darter).

I won't attempt the exuvia.
Click to expand...

Brian,
I had a look on the net for pictures of Yellow-winged Darters and they all looked very yellow.
The red flecks on the wings of the one I posted may be a colour abberation but I remember quite clearly that the dragonfly itself was bright red. I saw some other pictures on one of the sites and wonder if it might be a Vagrant Darter (Sympetrum vulgatum). They're apparently quite common in Sweden though I don't know about Finland.
I am writing from a position of almost total ignorance in the matter so I'm probably completely wrong but I am curious nevertheless.
Graham
 
brianhstone said:
Not Vagrant Darter I don't think:
http://www.dragonflysoc.org.uk/frameset.htm?syvul&species&sym
Click to expand...

Feel a bit stupid, Brian. Looked at the picture of the Vagrant Darter and thought it looked much the same as my image - until my better half pointed out the yellow patches on the wings in my photo. Now I know why it's called a Yellow-winged Darter. Still don't understand why mine has a red body though...

Here's another version.

Graham
 

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Have a look at these - All with red bodies

http://www.naturfotogalerie.de/odonata/02/Symfla01.htm
http://www.warbler.phytoconsult.nl/libellen/Symp_flav.htm
http://www.libellen.nl/europa/pictures/european/sympflavm.html

Paul

Macswede said:
Feel a bit stupid, Brian. Looked at the picture of the Vagrant Darter and thought it looked much the same as my image - until my better half pointed out the yellow patches on the wings in my photo. Now I know why it's called a Yellow-winged Darter. Still don't understand why mine has a red body though...

Here's another version.

Graham
Click to expand...
 
Adey Baker said:
Red is the 'standard' colour for adult male in quite a few Darter species
Click to expand...

Thanks Adey,
I'm very much a beginner as far as dragonflies and damselflies are concerned. The only other darter I have identified is a Large White-faced Darter on my local patch. I found a site that listed all the species found there and at other sites in the area so I didn't have so many to choose between. Hope I got it right!
Graham
 

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There are some excellent websites with pictures of European Odonata such as:
http://fly.to/dragonflies
There's also a yahoogroup called WestPalOdos which might be worth joining if you want more help.
I'm no expert but yours looks very much like Leucorrhinia pectoralis to me. (Excellent photo, by the way!)
Ken
 
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Surreybirder said:
There are some excellent websites with pictures of European Odonata such as:
http://fly.to/dragonflies
There's also a yahoogroup called WestPalOdos which might be worth joining if you want more help.
I'm no expert but yours looks very much like Leucorrhinia pectoralis to me. (Excellent photo, by the way!)
Ken
Click to expand...

That's the one I mean, Ken. I found the English name on the Internet. Is it wrong?
I've been using the http://fly.to/dragonflies site by the way. Think it's great. The other one also sounds interesting.
Graham
 
Macswede said:
That's the one I mean, Ken. I found the English name on the Internet. Is it wrong?
I've been using the http://fly.to/dragonflies site by the way. Think it's great. The other one also sounds interesting.
Graham
Click to expand...
Hi, Graham,
I don't really know the answer to that one. I don't think there's an 'official' English name for the species (and who would decide?). I have seen a list of proposed English names, where it is called large white-faced dragonfly, but it has not been accepted by, for example, the British Dragonfly Society, as far as I know. Neither of my ID books gives it an English name. In French it is la Leucorrhine à gros thorax and in German: Grosse Moosjugfer but I don't suppose that helps ;)
BTW There seems to be a claimed English record of the species from 1859!
Ken
 
Last edited:
Surreybirder said:
Hi, Graham,
I don't really know the answer to that one. I don't think there's an 'official' English name for the species (and who would decide?). I have seen a list of proposed English names, where it is called large white-faced dragonfly, but it has not been accepted by, for example, the British Dragonfly Society, as far as I know. Neither of my ID books gives it an English name. In French it is la Leucorrhine à gros thorax and in German: Grosse Moosjugfer but I don't suppose that helps ;)
BTW There seems to be a claimed English record of the species from 1859!
Ken
Click to expand...

Thanks, Ken,
Maybe I should stick to the Latin names in future instread of looking for English names that may not be universally accepted or even understood. After all I do live in Linneus's native land.
Graham
 
I only have the French edition of d'Aguilar et Dommanget (1998) and it doesn't give an English name. The map shows it as occurring over a large part of southern Sweden.
Ken
 
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