Britain's dragonflies: a field guide to the damselflies and dragonflies of Britain and Ireland

Foreword 7  Introduction 8  Dragonfly Biology 10  Egg 11  Larva 13  Emergence 14  Adult 16  Dispersal and migration 19  Where to look for Dragonflies 21  Dragonfly habitats 21  Favoured breeding habitats 30  Where to look for rare, scarce and localised Dragonflies 32  Watching and photographing Dragonflies 34  How to identify Dragonflies 36  An introduction to identification 36  Key features of adult damselflies and dragonflies 37  Colour variations 38  The types of dragonfly 39  Adult identification charts 44  Identifying male emerald dragonflies, hawkers and emperors in flight 56  Glossary 58    THE SPECIES ACCOUNTS (See the following pages for full list) 59  Introduced exotic species 188  Identification of larvae and exuviae 190  An introduction to identification 190  Identification tips 190  How to use the guide 191  The biology of eggs and larvae 192  Key features of larvae and exuviae 194  The types of Dragonfly larvae 196  Larval identification charts 202  Conservation status and legislation 212  British Dragonfly Society 216  Dragonfly recording and monitoring 216  Further reading 218  Acknowledgements and photographic credits 219  Index of English and scientific names 222   THE SPECIES ACCOUNTS  Breeding species 60  DAMSELFLIES (ZYGOPTERA)  Beautiful Demoiselle Calopteryx virgo 60  Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens 62  Emerald Damselfly Lestes sponsa 64  Scarce Emerald Damselfly Lestes dryas 66  Southern Emerald Damselfly Lestes barbarus 68  Willow Emerald Damselfly Chalcolestes viridis 70  Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula 72  Small Red Damselfly Ceriagrion tenellum 74  White-legged Damselfly Platycnemis pennipes 76  Southern Damselfly Coenagrion mercuriale 78  Northern Damselfly Coenagrion hastulatum 80  Irish Damselfly Coenagrion lunulatum 82  Dainty Damselfly Coenagrion scitulum 84  Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella 86  Variable Damselfly Coenagrion pulchellum 88  Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum 90  Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans 92  Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura pumilio 94  Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma najas 96  Small Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma viridulum 98   DRAGONFLIES (ANISOPTERA)  Hairy Dragonfly Brachytron pratense 100  Azure Hawker Aeshna caerulea 102  Common Hawker Aeshna juncea 104  Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta 106  Southern Migrant Hawker Aeshna affinis 108  Southern Hawker Aeshna cyanea 110  Brown Hawker Aeshna grandis 112  Norfolk Hawker Aeshna isosceles 114  Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator 116  Lesser Emperor Anax parthenope 118  Golden-ringed Dragonfly Cordulegaster boltonii 120  Common Club-tail Gomphus vulgatissimus 122  Downy Emerald Cordulia aenea 124  Brilliant Emerald Somatochlora metallica 126  Northern Emerald Somatochlora arctica 128  Four-spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata 130  Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa 132  Scarce Chaser Libellula fulva 134  Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum 136  Keeled Skimmer Orthetrum coerulescens 138  White-faced Darter Leucorrhinia dubia 140  Black Darter Sympetrum danae 142  Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum 144  Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum 146  Red-veined Darter Sympetrum fonscolombii 148  Yellow-winged Darter Sympetrum flaveolum 150   FORMER BREEDERS, VAGRANTS AND POTENTIAL VAGRANTS 152  DAMSELFLIES (ZYGOPTERA)  Small Spreadwing Lestes virens 154  Common Winter Damselfly Sympecma fusca 156  Norfolk Damselfly Coenagrion armatum 158  Blue-eye Erythromma lindenii 160   DRAGONFLIES (ANISOPTERA)  Vagrant Emperor Anax ephippiger 162  Common Green Darner Anax junius 164  River Clubtail Gomphus flavipes 166  Western Clubtail Gomphus pulchellus 168  Orange-spotted Emerald Oxygastra curtisii 170  Southern Skimmer Orthetrum brunneum 172  Yellow-spotted Whiteface Leucorrhinia pectoralis 174  Ruby Whiteface Leucorrhinia rubicunda 176  Banded Darter Sympetrum pedemontanum 178  Vagrant Darter Sympetrum vulgatum 180  Southern Darter Sympetrum meridionale 182  Scarlet Darter Crocothemis erythraea 184  Wandering Glider Pantala flavescens 186