Moor Green Lakes Group
Reserve car park and closing time
click here.
The Moor Green Lakes Damselfly and Dragonfly List
Dragonfly List Dragonfly recordingIndex
Damselflies and Demoiselles: Able to fold their wings at rest. Eyes wide apart.
| Common Blue Damselfly | Enallagma cyathigerum |  |
|---|---|---|
| Red-eyed Damselfly | Erythomma najas |  |
| Azure Damselfly | Coenagrion puella |  |
| Large Red Damselfly | Pyrrhosoma nymphula |  |
| Blue-tailed Damselfly | Ischnura elegans |  |
| Emerald Damselfly | Lestes sponsa |
Only record with precise date is 8th August |
| Banded Demoiselle | Calopteryx splendens |  |
| Beautiful Demoiselle | Calopteryx virgo |  |
Dragonflies:Not able to close wings at rest. Eyes close together. Larger than damselflies.
| Southern Hawker Dragonfly | Aeshna cycnea |
All records are in July |
|---|---|---|
| Brown Hawker Dragonfly | Aeshna grandis |  |
| Migrant Hawker Dragonfly | Aeshna mixta |  |
| Emperor Dragonfly | Anax imperator |  |
| Golden-ringed Dragonfly | Cordulegaster boltonii |
Flight season June to Sept |
| Downy Emerald Dragonfly | Cordulia aenea |
Flight season May to June |
| Black-tailed Skimmer | Orthetrum cancellatum |  |
| Broad-bodied Chaser | Libellula depressa |  |
| Four spotted Chaser | Libellula quadrimaculata |  |
| Common Darter | Sympetrum striolatum |  |
| Ruddy Darter | Sympetrum sanguineum |
Vagrant - Peak flight season July and August |
Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum
This is the familiar blue flying matchstick quartering the hedges of the path west of Colebrook Lake and to a lesser extent in sunny gaps in the trees along the Blackwater river.
Click on picture to toggle labelling
Click on picture to toggle labelling
Flight Season
Additional information about the Common blue damselfly at the British Dragonfly Society
Red-eyed Damselfly Erythomma najas
Found on west bank of Colebrook Lake North, for example from the screen, and singles occasionally on the Blackwater river.
Click on picture to toggle labelling
Flight Season
Additional information about the Red-eyed Damselfly at the British Dragonfly Society
Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella
A small colony hangs on in the NW corner of Colebrook N and on the path beside it.
Click on picture to toggle labelling
Flight Season
Additional information about the Azure Damselfly at the British Dragonfly Society
Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula
Small numbers on Colebrook and a small colony on the South end of the Colebrook Lake path and on the Blackwater River. Usually no late season sightings, implying that emergence of overwintering larvae only at Moor Green, while other sites locally also have a later emergence of that year’s larva. It is not possible that this conspicuous insect is missed. The reason for this is not known.
The only other British Red damselfly is the rarer Small Red with red legs and does not occur on this site.
Flight Season
Additional information about the Large Red Damselfly at the British Dragonfly Society
Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans
Found on small numbers throughout reserve and along Blackwater river especially S of Grove. Rarely on path to W of Colebrook.
Click on picture to toggle labelling
Flight Season
Additional information about the Blue-tailed Damselfly at the British Dragonfly Society
Emerald Damselfly Lestes sponsa
Despite being described as “abundant” in 91/92 and present the following year and subsequent single historical records, the last confirmed record seems to be 2009.
Flight Season
Only record with precise date is 8th August
Additional information about the Emerald Damselfly at the British Dragonfly Society
Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens
Displaying males, the sign of summer up and down the Blackwater River. Also, in small numbers on the reserve itself.
Flight Season
Additional information about the Banded Damselfly at the British Dragonfly Society
Beautiful Demoiselle Calopteryx virgo
Historical reports 2003 and 2009 but now a regular sight on the Blackwater River to the S of the reserve. In Crick 2003 “Blackwater Valley Dragonflies, “he talks of “occasional visitor to the Blackwater Valley... and recent sighting at Moor Green.” This is different now. Clearly expanding its range.
Flight Season
Additional information about the Beautiful Damselfly at the British Dragonfly Society
Southern Hawker Dragonfly Aeshna cyanea
Surprisingly few records despite being common on many other local sites
Click on picture to toggle labelling
Flight Season
All records are in July
Additional information about the Southern Hawker Dragonfly at the British Dragonfly Society
Brown Hawker Dragonfly Aeshna grandis
For a short period, this is the dominant hawker, seen in every gap in the trees on the lake edges, to be replaced by the Migrant later in the season.
Flight Season
Additional information about the Brown Hawker Dragonfly at the British Dragonfly Society
Migrant Hawker Dragonfly Aeshna mixta
The familiar hawker dragonfly of late summer
Click on picture to toggle labelling
Flight Season
Additional information about the Migrant Hawker Dragonfly at the British Dragonfly Society
Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator
The familiar hawker dragonfly of early summer (later elsewhere), flying high and imperiously over its domain. Abdomen typically droops slightly in flight.
Click on picture to toggle labelling
Flight Season
Additional information about the Emperor Dragonfly at the British Dragonfly Society
Golden-ringed Dragonfly Cordulegaster boltonii
Usually one record a year. In the past we had hoped they would breed in the cut between Grove and Colebrook, but this seems unlikely now.
Flight Season
Jun to Sept
Additional information about the Golden-ringed Dragonfly at the British Dragonfly Society
Downy Emerald Dragonfly Cordulia aenea
Despite previous records and reports of breeding (newletter July 2008) no recent records.
Flight Season
May to June
Additional information about the Downy Dragonfly at the British Dragonfly Society
Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum
For a brief period in mid-summer, this is the friend one finds basking on any sunlit path like that west of Colebrook Lake. Present in quite high numbers.
Flight Season
Additional information about the Black-tailed Skimmer at the British Dragonfly Society
Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa
An early coloniser of new ponds: well worth looking out for on Manor Farm in early summer.
Flight Season
Additional information about the Broad-bodied Chaser at the British Dragonfly Society
Four Spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata
.
Flight Season
Additional information about the Four Spotted Chaser at the British Dragonfly Society
Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum
Often found basking on the paths in late summer and may be present into November in mild years.
Flight Season
Additional information about the Common Darter at the British Dragonfly Society
Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum
Heathland species seen at the Spout Pool, the Ridges and Swinley Forest. Only a vagrant at Moor Green Lakes
Flight Season
Vagrant. Peak flight season July and August
Additional information about the Ruddy Darter at the British Dragonfly Society