Damselfly emerging! (1 Viewer)

Richard Ford · May 28, 2003

Fantastic Ken, when my girlfriend and I finally sort the garden out we intend to have a pond, I hope it is as good for Odonata as yours.

I have not yet confidently identified an Azure Damselfly, any pointers to help me distinguish it from the Common blue?

For those who are interested I have just updated all the images of Odonata on my site at http://www.digitalwildlife.co.uk/dragonflies/

Here is a picture of a pair of Common Blue Damselflies i think.
I was slightly confused by the colour of the females eyes though they look Red?

Rich

Adey Baker · May 29, 2003

Rich,

There are a few detailed differences between (male) Common Blue and Azure damselflies but the one that most people home-in on is the second segment pattern. Sounds complicated, and close-focussing bins come in useful at times but basically the segment in question is the short one just behind the 'thicker' part of the body - in your photo above it's the one that's 'resting' on the tip of the female's tail. Yes your shot is of Common Blue as it has the correct pattern - viewed from above it's a black oval with a line down to the next segment. The Azure has a sort of flat-bottomed letter U shape which is not joined to the next segment (if it has a sort of combination of the two features it could be a Variable damselfly - but they do live up to their name!) Another 'tip' is indeed the tip (of the tail) - the penultimate segment on Common Blue is plain blue, whilst on Azure there are a couple of black blobs (again, viewed from above).

Adey

Surreybirder · May 29, 2003

Adey has mentioned the main ID points. Although my photo is poor you can make out the marks on the second abdominal segment that he refers to.
Azure damselfies are a slightly richer blue but unless you have common and azure together I don't know how reliable a fieldmark this is.
We hope to move soon, so I guess we'll be digging again.
Lovely photos on your web site, redwing!

Richard Ford · May 29, 2003

Well would you believe it.
I have just had my lunch down by the Basingstoke canal. On such a sunny day I thought there would be a good chance of some odos, sure enough a small blue damselfly lands on a nettle next to me, with a squared off U shape marking on the second segment and the black blobs, then I realise they are all over the place. Thanks guys. :t: I may take my camera to work tomorrow

Also several Blue tailed Damselflies and a larger Hawker species. It appeared to have some colour in the wings, reddish Brown. Could it have been a Brown Hawker? Sorry I have no books to hand so I could not look up the flight period, I have seen them in this area last year though.

Rich

Surreybirder · May 29, 2003

Sounds like a brown hawker tome, Rich. As the scientific name, Aeshna grandis, suggests, they are big hawkers. I tried to photo one last year and found them very hard to approach.
You work near a good location!
I've tried to photo the azure damsels in our garden and found them far harder to approach than the large reds. (But I wonder whether the fact I'm wearing a blue shirt is spooking them?)
Ken

steve covey · May 29, 2003

Hi Rich,
definately Brown Hawker - slightly early, but given the mild spring weather [despite the rain] the larval development would have been accelerated so not unsurprising.
I wouldn't be at all surprised to see most of the 'high summer' species emerging over the next few days if this weather keeps up.
Re the blue damsel id's - I find it helps to stick it in my mind by visualising the Common Blue's segment 2 marking as a 'button mushroom' on a stubby stalk and the Azure's as a wine goblet without the stem! But then my wife always says I'm a bit strange!
Cheers, Steve.

Surreybirder · May 30, 2003

Thanks, Steve. (Got one right!!)
At about 8.00 this a.m. I looked at the "reed bed" (actually a few sedges and rushes) in our garden pond and found at least three damselfly exuvia. One has a damselfly still attached. It's almost transparent with no colouration at all (just a very pale buff). I'll try and keep an eye on it to see if I can get any clues as to its identity. My guess is large red or azure as they are the two species I've seen so far this year in the pond. But it could be blue-tailed I guess. (Unfortunately it's in a very difficult position to photograph without getting wet!)

Richard Ford · May 30, 2003

Morning

Thanks guys

I must make the effort soon one morning to check out one of our local ponds for exuvia.
I looked up the flight period of Brown Hawker and as you say it’s a little early. As you said Ken it looks almost impossible to photograph, continually moving up and down patrolling the area. I would have to be up to my neck in water for a start, Do these insects ever land? And where?

Thanks for the ID tips, what about id pointers for a typical Variable Damsel, I see that Southern Damselfly is a possibility not to far from me as well. They all look quite similar to me.
Sorry I know I could look in the book but I find tips from the horse’s mouth useful, The mushroom and wine glass is just the kind of thing that sticks with me too Steve, but then my girlfriend says I am strange too

Anyway provided work does not get in the way I will pop down and try to get some pictures of the Azure Damselflies today.

Cheers :t:

Rich

steve covey · May 30, 2003

Rich,
typical male Variable usually has incomplete antehumeral stripes [the ones on the top of the thorax] they look for all the world like exclamation marks.
Females - well - not easy except by netting and examining certain features through a hand lens I'm afraid. Easier for you to check the guides [Brookes and Lewington being the best for the female features] than for me to try to explain here.
Cheers for now,
Steve.
Steve

Richard Ford · May 30, 2003

Thanks Steve I have just found a nice picture of that here.
http://www.dragonflysoc.org.uk/frameset.htm?copul&species&coe

Rich

Surreybirder · May 30, 2003

Sad post script

I looked in our garden at about 2.30 p.m. and the emerging damselfly was still there--clearly an azure. But I think it's stuck to its exuvia... it was flapping its wings vigorously but not getting anywhere.
Saw my first true dragonflies today (Anisoptera) -- a lovely four-spotted chaser and a probable southern hawker.
Ken

Richard Ford · May 30, 2003

No sign of the Hawker at the Basingstoke cannel area this lunchtime, plenty of Azure’s but I didn’t manage a photo. They didn’t seem to want to stay still (within range) either, typical since yesterday I had one land next to me and allow itself to be scrutinised, but when I have the camera……….
As you said Ken the Large Reds and Blue Tails were much more approachable.
I also had a Banded Demoiselle but flying around the far bank and nowhere near the camera.

Also at least two, one Azure and one Blue tail that were bent, by that I mean slightly deformed.
I wonder if this was due to problems when emerging also?

Rich

Surreybirder · May 30, 2003

bent damsel

Hi, Rich,
I saw a 'bent' beautiful demoiselle the other day. But Adrian Parr tells me that it was transferring sperm from its primary to its secondary genitalia.
I'll attach a photo.
I managed to get quite close to an azure today (not the one that I refer to above which died when I attempted to rescue it at about 4.pm.) so I've posted it in the gallery.
Tomorrow should be good... about 2 p.m. I would guess!
Ken

Edit: I've added the photo of the beautiful demoiselle to the gallery.

Richard Ford · May 31, 2003

Hi all

Well on the way home I popped into a likely pond and jackpot I found my first exuvia, actually I found about 7 of these, but what is it?

BTW the ‘bent’

damsels were just that, deformed with a 45degree kink in the body.

Rich

Richard Ford · May 31, 2003

I also took this, which I think is an Azure, eating a fly.

Surreybirder · May 31, 2003

Great shots, Redwing.
Your exuvia don't look much different from mine of a southern hawker (previous page). So I'd say they were probably hawker sp. (I found out after I'd photod mine that the clinching feature is on the underside of the exuvia!
There's a web site that gives a key to odonata exuvia somewhere. I'll post it if I can find it. (It's the Hants/Surrey dragonfly group, so it sounds as if it's your neighbours'!) It's technical and hard to follow, to me at least... get your microscope ready.
BTW, I was told that if you want to collect exuvia old film containers are a good means of storage. The damselfly ones are so fragile that they would be a nightmare to collect.
I took a shot of a damsel eating a fly yesterday but I'll have to wait until my film is processed as I was using an SLR camera. (I always find it a nightmare to use compared with the digital--too many things can go wrong.)
Did you know that there's a UK dragonflies yahoo.group? It might be worth considering joining if you haven't already.
look up dragonflies-uk on the yahoo.com web sit.
Ken

Surreybirder · May 31, 2003

HERE IT IS!

For key to British odonata exuvia click HERE
You'll see two tiny sheets of notes. Click on them and they come out A4 size.
good luck!

Forcreeks · Jun 1, 2003

Great reading here for Odo nuts. Several comments.. when my wife stood by and impatiently waited for me to see enough odos at the pond, she had a turquoise blue raincoat (sunny day too!) and while I was afield, she says damselflies constantly LANDED on her coat! Maybe the camo idea attracts them?
I posted to the bugs and insects gallery yesterday, an Eight-spotted skimmer teneral with wings nearly filled out, but not quite.. and the exuvia I found on the ground below shown with it. Looks not unlike Surreybirders Southern Hawker exuvia, except shorter and proportionately wider. Amazing the length of abdomen and wingspan that come out of these, seem to be twice as long or more. I got some damsel, wheel-formation shots today, and maybe will post one here later. Thanks for good discussion. Steve in Oregon.

Surreybirder · Jun 1, 2003

Hi Steve in Oregon! Great to have the discussion broadening out!
I'll have to get my wife to buy a turquoise raincoat!
I love your pic of the eight-spotted chaser. If only I had been into odos when I visited Portland, Or!
On Redwing's question, the brown hawker I tried to photo was an ovipositing female. Even she never stayed in one spot long enough to get close and focus the camera. I saw another one land on a hedge but it wouldn't let me get anywhere near it.
Perhaps someone with more experience could give some tips. There's been a good discussion on dragonflies-UK. CLICK HERE. The main thing I picked up was that you must walk directly towards the odo and never let your shadow fall on it.
There was also an interesting article in odo news. CLICK HERE
I had a frustrating time with what I believe was a hairy dragonfly yesterday. Not only couldn't I see it still but I couldn't even get my bins properly focused on it 'cos it never settled during several minutes.

Forcreeks · Jun 1, 2003

Surrey, re: I had a frustrating time with what I believe was a hairy dragonfly yesterday. Not only couldn't I see it still but I couldn't even get my bins properly focused on it 'cos it never settled during several minutes.
>> Because of the species that patrol nearly all day without landing (males.. and females perch usually away from the water), we're "forced" to catch them in nets to view, photo, and study them. I've been watching for just two seasons, and am not too great with the net, but I do own one and occasionally get one in it! This is the case with our Blue, or Mosaic darners.. Aeshnadae?, and Common Green Darner.. they just don't land. Some of the field guides, probably all, pose dead specimens on natural habitat, to appear live.. but I wouldn't do it myself. They say to cool them in a travel cooler to pose for a few moments for photo.. haven't tried it either. Say, here's the Tule bluet damsels in wheel formation I shot today.. showing us how it's done! p.s.: as mentioned above in thread, the second segment of the male of the Tule, is also a positive i.d. field mark: see the black ring does not go around for its entire length, only on the top at S-2.

Damselfly emerging! (1 Viewer)

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