Damselflies & Dragonflies of the Highlands An identification guide Golden-ringed Dragonfly Dragonflies are amazing insects that combine stunning colours with awesome aerial displays.This guide will help you identify the 18 species of dragonfly and damselfly found in the Highlands. You can get involved by recording the species you see and sending in your records.This will contribute to a national atlas of Dragonflies. Published by Highland Council 1M 2M 3M 1F 2F 3F DAMSELFLIES 2 Emerald Damselfly 3 Large Red Damselfly Cuileagan Cruinneig Cruinneag Uaine Cruinneag Dhearg 1 Beautiful Demoiselle Length: 35 – 39mm Length: 33 – 36mm Òigheag Bhrèagha Range: widespread Range: widespread Length: 45 – 49mm Rarity: common Rarity: common Range: Lochaber, west of Fort Habitat: well vegetated Habitat: standing or very William and Sleat on Skye standing water, ditches and slow moving water Rarity: restricted to the above loch margins Seen: May to August areas but under-recorded Seen: late June to September A distinctive red and black Habitat: only found in A slender species, with a damselfly that is the first to running water, burns and weak, fluttery flight. Males be seen in late spring. rivers with stoney bottoms are metallic green with blue Females are darker with Seen: late May to late August segments 9 and 10 on the black and yellow bands on This species is unmistakable rear of the abdomen. the abdomen. Unusually for as the males have dark blue Females are a duller green damselflies the males are wings and a metallic blue- with a pale brown abdomen. territorial so this keeps green body. Females have metallic bronze-green bodies On dull days often rests on the numbers low at with golden-brown tinged vegetation near water waterbodies. wings. Most activity takes holding its wings half open. place near water with the The most common late males displaying to females summer damselfly. using a fast, fluttering flight. Females only come to the watertomateorlayeggs,so are not seen as often as males. Immatures and females can be found away from the water at the edges of Bracken stands or woodland. 4M 5M 6M 4F 5F 6F 4 Northern Damselfly 5 Common Blue 6 Blue-tailed Damselfly Cruinneag a’ Chinn a Tuath Damselfly Cruinneag Ghrinn Length: 31 – 33mm Cruinneag Chumanta Length: 30 – 34mm Range: restricted to only 30 Length: 29 – 36mm Range: widespread sites in the Cairngorms Range: widespread Rarity: can be localised but is National Park Rarity: common possibly under-recorded Rarity: rare Habitat: standing water Habitat: standing water Habitat: shallow pond or Seen: June to mid Seen: May to early lochan edges sheltered by September September sedges Males are bright blue, flying Commonly seen flying low Seen: late May to early August fast and low over the water, down among waterside The only UK damselfly only often in large numbers.They vegetation but also far from found in Scotland.The black can be distinguished by the water. Males are dark, almost and blue males fly slowly club-shaped black mark on metallic black with a bright and weakly among widely the top of segment 2 of the spaced aquatic vegetation blue band (segment 8) on nearly always below the abdomen and the blue the rear of the abdomen and tops of plants and avoid upper surface of segments 8 a green or blue thorax. large areas of open water. and 9. Both males and Females usually have a dull The underside of the eyes females have a single black brown band (segment 8) and and face are bright green. stripe on the side of thorax. either a brown/pale The male has 2 short black Females are much drabber grey/pink thorax. Males and lines on each side than males with more black females have a small black of the thorax, and a spear- and can come in yellow, pale and white wing spot at the shaped mark and 2 green or brown forms.All end of each wing. black lines on the females have a spine second abdominal underneath segment 8. segment. Females are pea-green with the 2 thorax lines. 7M 8M 9M 7F 8F 9F DRAGONFLIES Tarbh Nathrach 9 Southern Hawker Hawkers.These are fast flying insects, chasing after prey Tarbh Nathrach a’ and seldom seen perching (apart from the Azure Hawker). Chinn a Deas 7 Azure Hawker 8 Common Hawker Length: 65 – 75mm Tarbh Nathrach Liath Tarbh Nathrach Range: spreading. Southern Length: 54 – 64mm nan Cuilcean Lochaber and from Garve to Range: a few Strathspey sites Length: 65 – 80mm coastal Easter Ross, Strathglass, and scattered all over the Range: widespread over to coastal Morayshire west Highlands but not Rarity: common Rarity: becoming more common Skye. Under-recorded Habitat: most standing Habitat: most lowland Rarity: rare waters to an altitude of standing waters Habitat: boggy moorland, 600+ metres Seen: late June to October open birch woodland and Seen: July to October This large hawker is moss-rich bog pools up to This large hawker is a fast an altitude of 600+ metres inquisitive and will come and powerful flier, being Seen: late May to July within a few feet of an difficult to approach.They This species is restricted to observer.The females have almost never perch. Males Scotland. It spends a lot of apple green markings on a have paired blue and yellow time perched, basking on black background, with three markings on the abdomen rocks and tree trunks.The bands of green at the end of but appear very dark in their abdomen. Males have a bright blue males fly fast and flight. Females are usually similar green colour but the low at the edges of pools. dull yellow with a brown underside of their abdomen The males are blue and black, background or sometimes is powder blue as are the with no yellow markings. blue/green.This species has three stripes at the end of Females can have the male a distinctive yellow leading their abdomen. Common colouration or are yellowy edge to its wings. Females Hawkers have paired spots at brown and black. Neither sex can be found egg-laying on the end of their abdomen and has coloured stripes on the cold mornings at the end of these are the best features to top of the thorax. the flight season. separate these two species. 10M 11M 12M 10F 11F 12F Golden-ringed. These are Emeralds. They are similar 12 Brilliant Emerald represented by only one to Hawkers but smaller. Smàrag Ghleansach Length: 49 – 57mm species in the UK.They 11 Downy Emerald behave exactly the same as Smàrag Range: only found in Hawkers. Umha-dhathte Strathnairn and Strathglass Rarity: rare 10 Golden-ringed Length: 46 – 54mm Dragonfly Range: only found in Habitat: large ponds and Tarbh Nathrach Strathglass and Glen Affric lochans with tree cover Òrfhàinneach Rarity: rare along part of the bank Length: 74 – 85mm Habitat: large ponds and Seen: late May to August Range: widespread. lochans with tree cover The most green of the Emerald Dragonflies. Both Rarity: common in along part of the bank sexes have a slight yellow upland areas Seen: late May to July tinge to their wings.Aside Habitat: upland burns, A medium-sized dragonfly from the colour, the male moorland and woodland that appears dark unless has a waisted abdomen but rides seen well in bright sunlight. without the obvious bulge of Seen: June to mid The male has an abdomen the Downy September that bulges noticeably at Emerald. The One of Britain’s largest segments 7 and 8. Both female is dragonflies and readily sexes have bright green eyes unmistakable if approachable.The bright and a small amount of seen from the yellow bands on a black yellow-brown suffusing the side; she has what background and bright green very base of the wings. looks like a thorn eyes make identification pointing down at 90 degrees, at the simple. Males have a very end of the pinched waist and females underside of her abdomen. have a pointed end to their This species has brown, not abdomen for egg laying. dark-coloured wing spots. 13M 14M 15M 13F 14F 15F 13 Northern Emerald Chasers. As the name suggests Skimmers. Their behaviour Smàrag na Mòintich the males constantly patrol low is very similar to darters but Length: 45 – 51mm over the water, at about knee they fly low over the ground Range: widespread but height to find prey, chase off or water in an erratic flight. under-recorded. Not found rivals and find females. north of Lairg 15 Keeled Skimmer 14 Four-spotted Chaser Uachdarair Dìreach Rarity: uncommon Ruagaire Ceithir-bhallach Habitat: sphagnum bog pools Length: 38 – 46mm Length: 40 – 48mm Range: Morven and a few with scattered cotton grass Range: widespread among open woods or moors scattered sites on the Rarity: common Seen: early June to August west coast Habitat: moorland bogs, This dragonfly is often seen Rarity: rare ditches and ponds patrolling at about one metre Habitat: runnels and open Seen: May to August above the water. It flies fast and bog pools Males are extremely active, straight at height, often feeding Seen: late May to August flying rapidly then returning along the tree tops, and is The males have a tapering, to the same perch. Unusually difficult to approach.This is a powder blue abdomen, the for a male dragonfly they are medium sized very dark only dragonfly in the not territorial, so they can be metallic green, almost black, Highlands with this colour. dragonfly with distinctive found at densities of 30+. Of moderate size and likened to Females have a parallel-sided, shining green eyes and a golden-brown abdomen characteristic box shaped a flying cigar.