David Element's Wildlife Web Page Dragonflies and Damselflies 30

David Element

Wildlife Photography and Digital Video Images

_________________________________________Dragonflies and Damselflies 30 - Large Red Damselflies

LARGE RED DAMSELFLY Pyrrhosoma nymphula (f)

LARGE RED DAMSELFLY Pyrrhosoma nymphula (m)

LARGE RED DAMSELFLY Pyrrhosoma nymphula

LARGE RED DAMSELFLY Pyrrhosoma nymphula (f) (typica)

LARGE RED DAMSELFLY Pyrrhosoma nymphula (m)

Female Large Red Damselflies Pyrrhosoma nymphula are variable in appearance. The females in the first two photographs seem to show characteristics of both of the named forms typica and fulvipes as the thoracic ante-humeral stripes really ought to be red rather than golden yellow form typica – but this could be associated with the age of the insect as there are also colour differences associated with general darkening as these insects mature. These individuals may therefore best be described as an intermediate form. This nomenclature seems to be rather arbitrary as the subdivisions are determined by the (variable) amount of black or the substitution of yellow markings for red. There may be genetic variations responsible for these different colour forms and possibly advantages for one form over another under certain environmental conditions. There is only one possible confusion species in the UK, the Small Red Damselfly Ceriagrion tenellum. This appears later in the year (although with some overlapping of flight periods) and it is much rarer and generally restricted to wet heathland. The legs of this little damselfly do not have any black markings.

Short films of Large Red Damselflies may be seen at: https://youtu.be/RDfKvuHzAns and: https://youtu.be/NMvYRLJKkVw - although they tend not to be very active in front of a camera!