Lonesomely Clings the Dragonfly to the Underside of a Leaf

‘Lonesomely clings the dragonfly to the underside of a leaf. Ah! the ODONATA ON SHOTOVER autumn rain’. An ancient Japanese poem. Shotover Country Park does not Dragonflies are an ancient order have very much undisturbed open of insects. Fossils exist from water and so most of the breeding more than 300 million years places are in quieter ponds around ago. Together, dragonflies the hill, including the C.S. Lewis (Zygoptera) and damselflies Reserve and on private land. In (Anisoptera) make up the the summer, adult dragonflies and insect Order called the damselflies can be seen almost Odonata. There are anywhere across the hill, but 3,500 named species especially in the marshy areas, as worldwide of which over they forage for food. 100 are under threat of extinction due to Twelve Odonata species have been recorded at Brown Hawker (Aeshna grandis) is easily mankind’s changes to Shotover, although some of these have not been identified by the amber tinted wings. Both males the environment. seen for many years. and females are large and brown. Flight: May to September. DAMSELFLIES An obvious difference between dragonflies and Common Hawker (Aeshna junca) can be seen damselflies is the way they hold their wings when Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella). Males have a characteristic black U-shaped marking on flying (hawking) over its breeding areas (small at rest. Damselflies rest with their wings folded pools) and woodland edges far from its breeding above and in line with their bodies. Dragonflies the second abdominal segment. Females can be blue or green. Flight: May to August. site. Males are black with pairs of blue and yellow cannot do this and have to keep their wings out in spots along the abdomen. Females are brown the flying position. Both hunt for prey using their Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans) with yellow spots. Flight: June to October. huge eyes, each eye having as many as 30,000 prefers lakes and ponds. The blue on the tail is lenses. confined to segment 8 of the tail. Flight: May to Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixa). September. This dragonfly is Dragonflies and damselflies have exceptional common around aerobatic ability with two pairs of wings which Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) is large ponds, and they can flap independently in order to dart, an early species seen on warm spring days. It many are hover, loop-the-loop and even fly backwards. The has a preference for small acidic pools, and will thought to arrive wings beat at about 30 beats per second, which quickly colonise newly created ponds. Flight: from the is a lot slower than most other insects: 120 bps April to September. continent in late for hoverflies, and 250 bps for honeybees. summer. Both DRAGONFLIES sexes have a Dragonflies have been given many strange Club-tailed Dragonfly (Gomphus yellow golf-tee names: e.g. the horse stinger, horse adder, vulgatissumus) has not been recorded at shape marking snake doctor and devils darning needle. In the Shotover since 1980. This medium-sized on the upper past it was believed that their tail was a huge dragonfly has a club shaped abdomen. Males surface of the stinger. Dragonflies do not sting, but it is possible and females are black with yellow markings abdominal segment 2. Flight: July – October. that you could receive a nasty nip from their jaws which turn green on the male. Flight: May to July. if you picked one up. Southern Hawker (Aeshna cyanea). This LIFE CYCLE Hawker is found in small pools and lakes, including garden ponds. Flight: July to October. After mating, eggs are laid either inside plant tissue or in mud or water. In some species the Keeled Skimmer (Orthetrum coerulescens) is male and female stay together for the egg laying more common on upland heaths where there are phase. In plant tissue eggs are laid singly in quick shallow flushes and pools. Males have a pale succession and limited to a few hundred per day. blue abdomen. Females are pale brown and Those species that lay their eggs in mud or water have yellow tinted wings. Flight: June to August. can lay several thousand per day. Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa). This DRagonflies Most of a dragonfly’s life is spent as a larva under chaser likes well vegetated still water including water. Although most larvae are free ranging, garden ponds. Broad, flattened, pale blue they tend to hunt by grabbing prey as it comes abdomen in males, and yellowish brown in past. The larvae, like the adults, are carnivorous females. Flight: May to August. and will eat other invertebrates. on SHOTOVER Four spotted Chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata). Adults are aggressively territorial, and are found After emerging as flying adults, Odonata spend a near sheltered lakes and ponds. This Chaser few months as ‘immatures’ while their gets its name from the small brown patch on the reproductive organs develop and the body leading edge of each wing. Flight: May to August. colours brighten. Adults usually feed on flying insects which they catch either by flying around Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum). (hawking) or by perching on a look-out post. Favoured breeding sites are shallow pools and small lakes, and is quick to colonize new ponds. Shotover Wildlife is an independent Mature males have an orange/red abdomen. voluntary organisation founded to research Females are dull yellow brown. Flight: June to and communicate the importance of October. Shotover Hill for wildlife Chair: Ivan Wright Tel: 01865 874423 [email protected]

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Cover: Migrant Hawker