Species groups > Dragonflies

Although the summer weather has certainly not been as good as we may have hoped, there have been sufficient breaks in the clouds to allow dragonflies and damselflies at least some opportunity to breed – and to give dragonfly enthusiasts a chance to see and record them.

The 2011 flight season is not yet over, and many species, in particular the hawkers and Common Darter, are still flying and may continue to fly well into October.

These photographs are by Chris Holtby. The Common Darter (top) was taken on 31 July at Amwell Nature Reserve.

The female laying eggs was also taken at Amwell on the same day. Chirs also photographed BrownHawkers in Broxbourne Woods on 31 August.
 
There are more wonderful photos of hawkers and other dragonflies, photographed this summer, in the HNHS Photo Gallery;do have a look.

Hertfordshire Dragonfly Survey

‘After this year we will have one more year to gather records for the updated national dragonfly distribution atlas that the British Dragonfly Society intends to publish. So, although it is still relatively soon after some of you put in a considerable recording effort while helping with the survey work for the Hertfordshire Dragonfly Atlas, records of all species are important to ensure that Hertfordshire’s species are properly represented in the national atlas (and as an ongoing indication of whether the distribution of any species is changing in the county).

‘I would like to thank everyone who has submitted dragonfly records already, including via the sightings submission on this website, and I would of course be happy to receive records from anyone else who has them. If anyone has already tried to email records to me, and has not received some sort of acknowledgement please try sending them again because I have had some problems with email and it seems that some emails have unfortunately not reached me.

‘I have not yet found time to look closely at the records that I have received, to see if there are any areas of the county which are obviously lacking in recent records, but I will do so as soon as possible and make sure that some details are posted on the Dragonfly pages of the website.’ 

An unusual record from the county concerns a damselfly that emerged from an indoor fish tank in Royston in April. This turned out to be a species of Blue-tailed Damselfly, typically found in Africa and southern Asia: Ischnura senegalensis. It is known by various names including Ubiquitous Bluetail, Senegal Golden Dartlet, and perhaps confusingly Common Bluetail. A second individual, also believed to be this species, was found in the same residence in June. This species has been recorded in Britain in similar circumstances before and are presumed to have been brought to the UK as eggs or small larvae in imported aquatic plants. One seen by a garden pond in Kent in 2010 (ID not fully confirmed but not one of the British species, and most likely I. senegalensis) shows that there is a potential to encounter something out of the ordinary like this in the wider countryside!

It is also possible, and perhaps more likely, than you may come across a species that is found elsewhere in Britain, but not usually found in Hertfordshire. One species that almost made it into the county this year was a Scarce Chaser found on the River Lea in Bedfordshire, not far from the county border. As this was an immature individual it is possible that it had emerged nearby – so perhaps next year?

Large Red Dragonfly - first to be seen in spring

April 2011 - The lovely Large Reds are flying now, one was seen at a garden pond at Woodside near Watford on 16 April. If you see one please send in your record.

You can now submit your dragonfly records on-line

Please submit your records of dragonflies and damselflies through our on-line record submission system.All records will transfer to our records database and some of the more interesting records will feature on the Species Group page.

Roy Woodward is the Hertfordshire County Dragonfly Recorder

He will be pleased to receive your dragonfly records and answer any queries. His contact details are Roy Woodward, 62c High Street, Cheshunt, EN8 0AH, email: dragonfly recorder 

Take part in our countywide Dragonfly Survey