The user's problems are nothing compared to those for the Vice County recorder (me). The iRecord data has to be downloaded for our web site. The download feature is nightmare - enough said.

Robert Pugh photographed this Red-veined Darter in southern France in 2006 (N.B. Don't be confused by the apparently black legs as I was. Look at the pterostigma, yellow outlined by black.). The wing veins have many mites attached along them (to enlarge: click on the image and select View image). Mites mites are discussed on page 73 of the book: " Les Libellules de France, Belgique et Luxembourg" by Daniel Grand and Pierre Boudot, 2006 Biotope, Meze (Collection Parthenope) page73 and more briefly in "Field Guide to the Dragonflies & Damselflies of Great Britain and Ireland" by Brooks et. al. Revised edition 2004 page 29.

In true researcher style we present a brief account of the life of the mites and their impact on their dragonfly hosts by plagiarising the above works (using Kay's free rendering of Grand's French into English):

A terse description of the life cycle of Arrenurus species can be found in the summary of a paper by Stechmann, follow this link.

As an indulgence here is a photo of a male Southern Hawker taken by Kay on the 19^th September holding territory on our pond. The pond was only constructed in October last year.

A Red-veined Darter was seen at Marsh Lane on 15th August by Jeff Rankin and he photographed it, see left. These show an immature specimen, probably a male. There is good circumstantial evidence that it emerged at Marsh Lane. The species larvae develop rapidly and on the continent can go through up to two generations in one summer and there were Red-veined Darter sighted at Marsh Lane in late May/early June, see below. Of course, we will have to await the finding of exuvia for absolute proof of breeding but it highly probable it emerged somewhere near if not at Marsh Lane - a very exciting event for Warwickshire!

You will notice Red-veined Darter is in the first flights table. This attractive vagrant was seen first by Roy Ledbury at Marsh Lane Reserve 31^st May and photographed by him. There were several individuals and they stayed around for at least another day.  The following day Dave Hutton saw three individuals there and was able to photograph them too.

There have been records for the species in Warwickshire for six of the years since 2000. The sightings this year were part of a country wide immigration that occurred in late May/early June. There were reports from the South Coast to Cumbria.

Since the posting on 7^th May four additional species have been recorded flying. Mick Schilling recorded Beautiful Demoiselle on the Arrow at Wixford on 15 May. He records here regularly and this is the first time he has seen the species on this part of the Arrow. The species was also recorded on the Stour near Brailes by by Jill Roberts.

Agni-Louiza Arampolglou has sent a record for Broad-bodied Chaser at Packmore Community  Garden, The Cape Warwick the 14 May, about 3 weeks later than in 2011.

The other two species were seen by Kay and Peter Reeve on the Avon near Bidford on 22nd May. They were Red-eyed Damselfly and White-legged Damselfly the first in 10s and 20s the second just 3or 4. A Red-eye exuvia was recovered and the White-legged Damselfly was very immature,see the picture.

April 4^th - Remarkably early Banded Demoiselle emergence!

Photo by Paul Casey - Female Banded Demoiselle

I have just received notification of a sighting by Paul Casey of a female Banded Demioselle on the Tame at Ladywalk Reservoir. This is a very early record, by 16 days, for the species in Warwickshire and the UK - see the first flights table. Indeed, it could prove to be the earliest ever UK record for an emerged Banded Demioselle. Paul's photo shows a female that probably emerged at least a few hours before it was taken, possibly even the previous day.

April 11^th - First Large Red Damselfly of the year

Photo by Kay Reeve - Female Large Red Damselfly

Kay and I visited Bubbenhall Meadow NR on 11 April to discuss clearing paths for dragonfly monitoring with the Nature Reserve maintenance team. As we went round the ponds we disturbed four newly emerged Large Red Damselfly. One exuvia was recovered. This is the first record of this early species this year and is the earliest by one day that it has ever emerged in Warwickshire - unless someone has a earlier record for it this year - see the first flights table.

Warwickshire – VC 38

Kay and Peter Reeve

For the second year running there was a slow start to the flight season. The first sightings of adults of many species were quite late. It was not until mid-June that all our known breeding species were on the wing. Some early species appeared quite late. For example,the first flying Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa was seen on 17 May more than three weeks later than our earliest ever date for the county of 12 April.

However, there were a number of new proof of breeding at sites in the county. Exuvia of Hairy Dragonfly Brachytron pratense were found at Wormleighton Reservoir in the south-east and Alvecote Wood in the north of the county. At both sites adults have been seen for several years. This species is now present at thirteen sites that are widely distributed in Warwickshire with breeding proved at four (i.e. exuvia and/or emerging adults seen).

For several years Scarce Chaser Libullula fulva has been found flying and showing breeding behaviour on the Avon at Marlcliff. This year, for the first time anywhere in the county, an exuvia and a preflight adult were found – the latter, sadly, had been mortally wounded by some form of predation.

By the end of June all our resident breeding species were seen on the wing – including a sighting of the county rarity Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura pumilio which is still holding on at its one vulnerable site.

We had a rarely seen vagrant, Black Darter Sympetrum danae, at Alvecote in the north of the county (a site with highly acidic pools but devoid of sphagnum). It was last seen in the county in 2012.

Finally, Jill Roberts photographed a Black-tailed skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum at Winderton on 29^th September, a very late date for the species and the latest for it flying in Warwickshire. Further, it still showed immature coloration through blue pruinescence at several places on the abdomen - this suggests it was fairly young. Not content with just a male and she saw a female too and watched the two mating.

Last updated Thu Nov 16 22:06:57 2017