Damselfly emerging! (1 Viewer)

LMG · May 23, 2003

Have just spent an hour this afternoon watching a damselfly emerge from it's nymphal case, climb up a stem, pump up it's wings and fly off. What a wonderful sight! I took over 100 pictures, so that I could remember the whole sequence. Here's a photo of it emerging. In the next posting, I'll show you the final insect.

LMG · May 23, 2003

At last I've managed to reduce the image! If anyone can identify it, I'd love to know what it is. I know they don't get their full colours for a few days, so it might be difficult.

Dave Smith · May 23, 2003

That's amazing. How lucky you are to see and capture that.

Surreybirder · May 23, 2003

Hello, LMG.
Brilliant photos!
It's a large red damselfly, one of only two predominantly red UK species. The other, the small red, is confined to acid peat bogs--so you won't get it in your garden unless it's an unusual garden!!
I already put a brief note in your photo gallery before I realised that you started this thread. I've never seen a damsel/dragonfly emerging but I did find an exuvia last summer.
I'd be interested to know how big the exuvia was (that is the discarded larval skin).
I think I'm right in saying that odonata usually emerge overnight or in the very early morning.

Karl J · May 23, 2003

Fantastic sight that one. Just reading in my book where it states that the hawker dragonfly emerges during the night, whereas the other dragonfly groups & damselfly emerge early morning.

So to see a damselfly emerge during the afternoon must be quite unusual.

Did see a few Large red damselfly in the mid-yare area a few weeks ago but not seen any in a few visits since, presumably due to the downturn in the weather.

Richard Ford · May 24, 2003

Out of interest Ken, how did you ID that as a Large Red?

Great shots BTW this is something I have never seen either but I would like to find and photograph this event. Well done. Just for your info here is an adult Large Red damselfly (at least I think it is) that I photographed last year.

Rich

Richard Ford · May 24, 2003

I have been out today photographing Dragonflies too.
Any idea what this one is Ken.
Again i assume it has recently emerged.

Richard Ford · May 24, 2003

I also took this one today which I believe is the small red damselfly.
(Thanks Ken for identifying this as actually being a Large Red)

LMG · May 24, 2003

Hi Surreybirder,
Thanks for identifying the large red. How could you tell? There was no visable colour - the expert eye I suppose. The exuvia (I've learnt a new word!) was 17mm, I've included a better photo of it. BTW it emerged between 2 and 3p.m. It was raining on and off, so I stood there with an umbrella, to keep it dry!

Richard Ford · May 25, 2003

Fantastic pictures LMG :t:

Surreybirder · May 25, 2003

I may be getting out of my depth here! I'm quite new to odonata myself. I am sure that Redwing's supposed small red is in fact a large red... the small red would have red legs and much narrower antehumeral stripes. (Both extremely good pix!!)
Lovely pic of the exuvia, LMG!--how public spirited of you to keep it dry. I believe that rain can actually damage the wings of teneral damselflies, so it may have had some practical value.

The books I have don't really show immature (teneral) stages of damselflies so I have to admit that I haven't a clue what your dark one is Redwing. But I'll send a link to this page to one or two of my friends and see if they can offer an opinion.
As to LMG's damsel, it has an overall pinkish hue which made me think that it would turn red... (There is a violet form of the blue-tailed damselfy but I think you would be able to see a hint of the blue on the 'tail'... more research needed.)
Can anyone help!!

dylan · May 25, 2003

Fascinating photos LMG. Lovely way to spend an hour!

Surreybirder · May 25, 2003

small red damselfly (Ceriagrion tenellum)

redwing said:
I also took this one today which I believe is the small red damselfly.

I've attached a photo I took of a small red at Thursley common. They really are small. Sorry it's not the greatest quality.

PS The small red is actually quite well camouflaged, despite its red colouration, because some of the grasses in its preferred habitat are also quite red.
By the way, there were plenty of sundew in the bog too, I wonder how many of the damsels get eaten by plants? A sad end for such a predatory insect!

Surreybirder · May 25, 2003

exuvia

LMG said:
Hi Surreybirder,
Thanks for identifying the large red. How could you tell? There was no visable colour - the expert eye I suppose. The exuvia (I've learnt a new word!) was 17mm, I've included a better photo of it. BTW it emerged between 2 and 3p.m. It was raining on and off, so I stood there with an umbrella, to keep it dry!

Just for comparison, here's an exuvia I found, which I believe is that of the southern hawker dragonfly.

pauco · May 25, 2003

hi lmg
absolutley stunning photos, and what a way to send an hour or
to. bert.

Richard Ford · May 26, 2003

O thanks Ken I must admit I had not really considered the leg colour and this insect was so small i just thought i was probably a small red, i have to look out for small reds, they must be tiny.

I think I was right with these though but the legs still do not appear very red, but there not Black either just pale, would they be recent emergents.
http://members.lycos.co.uk/digitalwildlife/odonata/Smllred.htm Taken last year at Thursley common.

Great exuvia shots Ken. :t:

Surreybirder · May 26, 2003

Richard, as I've said I'm no expert but the (excellent) photos seem to be small reds--legs showing redness and no sign of any antehumeral stripes that I can see.
(Same red grass at Thursley!)

steve covey · May 26, 2003

redwing said:
I have been out today photographing Dragonflies too.
Any idea what this one is Ken.
Again i assume it has recently emerged.

Hi Richard,
without more abdomen showing I'm afraid it's virtually impossible to id from the angle of the shot. At a guess I would say that it's another Large Red as any of the blues usually show some of their [eventually] blue markings as pale segments. But as I say it's a brave person who would make a determination from the image. It would be a good one for a quizz night though

Dorsal [top] views usually give more clues as to species - even in tenerals but then you have the perennial problem of spooking the subject by casting a shadow. Great that you're taking images of tenerals though as it's much neglected - most plump for the bright, gaudy mature insects.
Sorry I can't be of more help.
Best Wishes,

Steve

Surreybirder · May 26, 2003

ovipositing

I found an exuvia in my garden pond today, not unlike LMG's. I photod it with my SLR camera but I'm not holding my breath as it was in a hard-to-get-at position.
The teneral damselfly was still there but I'm not sure what it was.
In the meantime, three pairs of large reds were ovipositing (egg laying). The males hold onto the females, which dip their abdomens into the water.
I'll attach a not very brilliant photo.

Surreybirder · May 28, 2003

more damsels

Summer is really coming to Surrey. I saw my first azure damselflies in our garden today (28 May), already ovipositing. Poor photo attached.

Damselfly emerging! (1 Viewer)

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