Sussex Dragonflies, Chasers, Darters, Emeralds, Hawkers and Skimmers Photo Gallery Index

The Sussex Wildlifer Sussex Dragonflies Identification Photo Gallery All images on this web site are copyright © Paul Lister/The Sussex Wildlifer 2010
Click thumbnail for enlarged view	Species Name Location and Date	Comments
	Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator Ashdown Forest: 30 June 2008	An emergent, which flew immediately I approached.
	Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator Ashdown Forest: 30 June 2008	A female ovipositing and quite tolerant of my presence.
	Emperor Dragonfly (male) Anax imperator Ashdown Forest: 28 July 2008	Quite a tatty specimen, but it let me get in really close and personal.
	Emperor Dragonfly (male) Anax imperator Ashdown Forest: 28 July 2008	See above.
	Emperor Dragonfly (ovipositing female) Anax imperator Ashdown Forest: 28 July 2008	See above.
	Hairy Dragonflies Brachytron pratense Southease, Ouse Valley: 26 May 2005	I have not seen many of this species.
	Hairy Dragonfly Brachytron pratense River Ouse 25 May 2008	Female ovipositing in the River Ouse.
	Hairy Dragonfly Brachytron pratense River Ouse 1 June 2009
	Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa Isfield: 14 July 2008	An action-packed two days discovering some of the best dragonflies in Sussex and led by some of the most enthusiastic people I have ever had the pleasure to be associated with.
	Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa Bedelands: 1 May 2007	This was my first sighting and I enjoyed watching it for several minutes.
	Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa Fairburn Ings, Yorkshire: 9 June 2007	This species is frequently seen in Sussex.
	Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa Fairburn Ings, Yorkshire: 9 June 2007	See above.
	Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa Fairburn Ings Yorkshire: 9 June 2007	See above:
	Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa River Ouse 25 May 2008	As I said above, it can be frequently seen in Sussex!
	Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa Ashdown Forest: 21 July 2008	No mistaking this squa-bodied chaser.
	Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa Ashdown Forest: 21 July 2008	This specimen appears to have a longer body.
	Four-spot Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata Ashdown Forest: 21 July 2008	Until this year I had never seen this species in Sussex.
	Four-spot Chaser Libellula depressa Fairburn Ings, Yorkshire: 9 June 2007	This species is frequently seen in Sussex.
	Four-spot Chaser Libellula depressa Fairburn Ings, Yorkshire: 9 June 2007	See above.
	Four-spot Chaser Libellula depressa Fairburn Ings, Yorkshire: 9 June 2007	See above.
	Four-spot Chaser Libellula depressa Ashdown Forest: 30 June 2008	A great location to see this species close up and very personal.
	Scarce Chaser Libellula fulva 8 June 2008	A mature male after copulation, showing the marks on the abdomen where the female had clasped him.
	Scarce Chasers Libellula depressa 8 June 2008	Copulating scarce chasers in this beautiful local dragonfly paradise.
	Scarce Chaser Libellula depressa 8 June 2008	A male before copulation (no marks on the abdomen).
	Freshly emerged Scarce Chaser Libellula depressa River Ouse 25 May 2008	A breakthrough year for this species, which is now steadily pushing eastwards.
	Scarce Chaser Libellula depressa 15 July 2008	One of the last to be recorded this year in this small Sussex dragonfly paradise.
	Common Darter: Pre-flight Emergent Sympetrum striolatum Pevensey Levels: 13 July 2008	Another magical day out with the Sussex Dragonfliers!
	Black Darter, male Sympetrum danae Black Down: 28 August 2008	Another "acid" dragonfly, this meadowhawk. In other words,you will only see them on acid heaths such as here and the Ashdown Forest.
	Black Darter, male Sympetrum danae Black Down: 28 August 2008	As above. Note the damaged wing on this male.
	Black Darter, female Sympetrum danae Black Down: 28 August 2008	As above.
	Black Darter, female Sympetrum danae Black Down: 28 August 2008	As above.
	Common Darter: Pre-flight Emergent Sympetrum striolatum Pevensey Levels: 13 July 2008	Before long they simply rose into the air and were away!
	Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum Copyhold Lane, near Haywards Heath 19 July 2007	There have been few opportunities in this wettest of years to photograph dragonflies in good light and so when this opportunity presented itself I grabbed my chance.
	Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum Copyhold Lane, near Haywards Heath 19 July 2007	See above.
	Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum Copyhold Lane, near Haywards Heath 19 July 2007	See above.
	Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum Bedelands: 16 August 2006	See above.
	Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum Pulborough RSPB Reserve: 31 August 2006	See above.
	Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum Bedelands: 5 September 2006	See above.
	Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum Dungeness: 8 October 2006	See above.
	Common Darter (immature) Sympetrum striolatum Batemans, East Sussex: 29 July 2007	See above.
	Common Darter, female Sympetrum striolatum River Mole, near Gatwick: 27 August 2007	See above.
	Common Darter, female Sympetrum striolatum River Mole: 27 August 2007	See above.
	Common Darters mating Sympetrum striolatum Ashdown Forest: 13 September 2008	See above.
	Common Darters mating Sympetrum striolatum Ashdown Forest: 13 September 2008	See above.
	Common Darters in flight Sympetrum striolatum Ashdown Forest: 13 September 2008	See above.
	Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum Pevensey Levels: 13 July 2008	Ruddy Darters have black legs: Common Darters have yellow striped legs. The Ruddies also have a waisted abdomen.
	Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum Pevensey Levels: 13 July 2008	See above.
	Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum Pevensey Levels: 13 July 2008	See above.
	Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum Mill Hill: 28 August 2007	Note that there are no yellow stripes on the legs.
	Female Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum Haywards Heath Garden: 18 July 2006	Fancy one of these turning up in the garden and then staying put long enough for me to photograph it.
	Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum Isfield: 5 July 2009	Note the pinched waist and black legs.
	Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum Isfield: 5 July 2009
	Downy Emerald Cordulia aenea (PFE - Pre-flight emergent) near Haywards Heath: 12 May 2009	I have become involved in the mysterious world of exuviae and PFEs, or in other words the casing from which the dragonflies emerge and pre-flight emergents.
	Downy Emerald Cordulia aenea (PFE - Pre-flight emergent) near Haywards Heath: 12 May 2009	See above.
	Brilliant Emerald Cordulia aenea (PFE - Pre-flight emergent) near Haywards Heath: 12 May 2009	Despite the early date, this emerged with several Downy Emeralds. Dave Chelmick states: "Definitely BE yellow on face and the massive vulvar scale at end of ab" and John Luck "it's a Brilliant Emerald ...note yellow frons, also a female assuming the white projection from seg 8 is a vulvar scale".
	Downy Emerald close-up Cordulia aenea near Haywards Heath: 12 May 2009	See above.
	Downy Emerald exuvia Cordulia aenea near Haywards Heath: 12 May 2009	See above.
	Brilliant Emerald Somatochlora metallica Isfield: 14 July 2008	I waited over two and a half hours for one of these nationally scarce beauties to settle. They seem to be attracted to nettles.
	Dragonfly carapace Pulborough Village Garden: 23 June 2007	Another great find in my daughter's garden.
	Brown Hawker Aeshna grandis Isfield: 14 July 2008	I waited and watched as this and two brilliant emeralds had a dog-fight for over two and a half hours. It settled for less than a minute and was then immediately back on patrol: it certainly lives up to its Latin name of "grandis".
	Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta Bedelands: 15 August 2006	This is just one of several mega-stars in this jewel of a reserve. Four hung inches from my face for over half an hour and I simply could not leave until they had recommenced hunting for more food.
	Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta Dungeness RSPB Reserve: 8 October 2006	See above.
	Migrant Hawker, female Aeshna mixta River Mole: 27 August 2007	See above. A truly delightful valley, with the river running through it provides an excellent location to see dragonflies.
	Migrant Hawker, female Aeshna mixta River Mole: 27 August 2007	See above.
	Southern Hawker Aeshna cyanea Warnham Nature Reserve: 9 July 2007	I went to the reserve to find silver-washed fritillary butterflies and this was an added bonus.
	Southern Hawker face Aeshna cyanea Pulborough RSPB Reserve: 31 August 2006	See above.
	Southern Hawker Aeshna cyanea Pulborough RSPB Reserve: 31 August 2006	Coming away from the reserve quite late we enjoyed the sight of several of these coming in "to roost" for the night.
	Southern Hawker Aeshna cyanea Pulborough RSPB Reserve: 31 August 2006	See above.
	Southern Hawker, female Aeshna cyanea Bedelands: 12 September 2008	See above.
	Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum Bedelands LNR 23 May 2008	An immature of the species and the first to be seen here for many years.
	Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum Sheffield Park: 16 July 2008	Good numbers were seen mating on one of the larger ponds.
	Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum Ashdown Forest: 21 July 2008	This is a great location for so many species of dragonflies.
	Keeled Skimmer Orthetrum coerulescens Gower Peninsular: 21 July 2006	Just off the main ridge and heading downhill towards Hayes Wood is a small fresh water spring. We were immediately aware of upwards of a dozen of these male dragonflies vying for the attention of a few females. The noise they made as they hit was really quite startling!
	Keeled Skimmer Orthetrum coerulescens Ashdown Forest: 29 June 2008	One of the few places to see this county rarity - they just love the acid environment.
	Keeled Skimmer Orthetrum coerulescens Ashdown Forest: 29 June 2008	See above.

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