Photos

A few pictures of Large Red Damselfly - Pyrrhosoma nymphula, an early season damselfly

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  Female, Felmersham NR. This is the intermedia form
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  Male, River Great Ouse, Kempston Church End
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  Pair "in cop" at Kempston Church End
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  Pair "in cop" at Kempston Church End
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  Male, Felmersham NR
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  Male, Felmersham NR
• 
  Ovipositing pair at Alwins Field - Photograph kindly donated by Rory Morrisey

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Main features

Bedfordshire's only red damselfly, makes identification simple.

The male is predominantly red, with black and yellow (becoming more red with age) stripes on the thorax, and black markings on the upper surface of segments 7, 8 & 9.

The female exists in 3 forms - fulvipes (similar to the male, mostly red but with black extending to segment 5), intermedia (all segments at least partly black), and melanotum (abdomen mostly black, thorax has prominent yellow stripes).

Habitat

Prefers still, well vegetated waters - ponds, lakes, ditches etc. Found away from water in wooded areas where they will congregate to feed.

Where to see

Felmersham NR, River Great Ouse at Kempston Church End.

Visible early in the season, from mid April through to late July.