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Dragonflies & Damselflies Page 4
Image Taken on 29 Jun 2009
at 11:24 Image of day on 03 Aug 2009
The female Banded Demoiselle does not have the band on her wings
that her mate does. The sheen on the abdomen is exquisite with a
greener tinge than the males. In the recent warm days a 25m grass
strip between hedges has become a wonderland of these beauties -
about 4 males and a couple of females flutter gently around you
as you walk slowly along the path.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20090803_da1_20090629_1124_038+1136_082 ft1 banded demoiselle female in flight with blackthorn leaves (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 29 Jun 2009
at 11:41 Image of day on 03 Aug 2009
The edges of the 4 wings are so nearly aligned that they almost
look like shadows.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20090803_da1_20090629_1141_099 ft1 banded demoiselle female on blackthorn leaf (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 20 Jun 2018
at 17:56 Image of day on 02 Aug 2018
A male Banded Demoiselle Damselfly beautifully poised on a leaf.
.jpg)
Ref: 20180802_df3_20180620_1756_080 banded demoiselle male(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 13 Jun 2021
at 12:12 Image of day on 17 Jul 2021
The Beautiful Demoiselles are supplemented by the only other similar
species (in the UK anyway) of the strikingly marked Banded Demoiselle.
This is a male - the females have no such banding and are so hard to tell
apart from female Beautiful Demoiselles 'in the wild' that we may miss
them among the larger numbers of the Beautiful females.
Each wing has it's own band which is quite dark even when the wings are separated
as you unusually see here.
.jpg)
Ref: 20210717_d73_20210613_1212_002 banded demoiselle male fluttering wings while perched(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 23 Jun 2009
at 14:35 Image of day on 30 Jul 2009
The Banded Demoiselle is quite one of the most beautiful damselflies we know of.
This is the male - the female has no band on different coloured wings.
See in a few days.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20090730_da1_20090623_1435_104+1516_194 ft1 banded demoiselle male in flight with grass head (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 09 Jul 2013
at 13:34 Image of day on 22 Aug 2013
The Banded Demoiselle Damselfly also is about 50% bigger than
typical Damselflies, but much more noticeable. The bands are only
seen on the male as here. The iridescent green thorax and blue
abdomen are in their original jewel like colours and visible
whatever the lighting.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20130822_da1_20130709_1334_070+1342_093_ft1 banded demoiselle male in flight with hawthorn twig (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 26 Jun 2011
at 12:56 Image of day on 12 Aug 2011
The first couple of warm days at last brought out the Odonata
(Dragonflies and Damselfies).
This Banded Demoiselle damselfly male flying along in all his glory.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20110812_da1_20110626_1256_110+1307_145_ft1 banded demoiselle male in flight with hawthorn twig (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 25 Jun 2024
at 11:21 Image of day on 27 Jul 2024
One of are recent arrival male Banded Demoiselle Damselflies perched
on the tips of some leaves, providing a view of the banding through
all four wings at once.
The first sighting this year was on 22 June 2024
.jpg)
Ref: 20240727_df3_20240625_1121_046 banded demoiselle male seeing through all 4 wings(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 14 May 2022
at 14:19 Image of day on 11 Jun 2022
First Odonata (Dragonflies et al) this year is the now annual uncanny visitation by
Beautiful Demoiselle Damselflies started on the especially warm Saturday 14 May 2022.
Only a handful seen - all but one in the 'usual' place near the South East corner in the
parallel south facing hedges. Mixed sexes of obviously immature individuals.
 + male immatures - first of 2022 1+2 of 2 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20220611_df3_20220514_1419_038 beautiful demoiselle damselflies female (left) + male immatures - first of 2022 1+2 of 2 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 22 May 2023
at 15:52 Image of day on 11 Jul 2023
In this montage we see male (top) and female Beautiful Demoiselle Damselflies.
This is a montage of the two about half a metre apart on the same bush.
 + female (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20230711_df3_20230522_1552_021+1557_022 beautiful demoiselle damselflies male (top) + female (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 21 May 2020
at 11:01 Image of day on 16 Jun 2020
There are several favourite places to find Beautiful Demoiselle Dragonflies,
typically 10 to 15 insects in each when in sunshine, plus ones and twos in
almost every sheltered sunny patch, so estimate that there are
at least 50 individuals currently in our little haven.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20200616_d73_20200521_1101_040 2 beautiful demoiselle damselflies males + 1 female together near round mound (crop)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 27 Jul 2024
at 13:08 Image of day on 19 Sep 2024
This year the Beautiful Demoiselle Damselflies have not appeared in the
same numbers as the last few years, but have stayed around longer.
Their wings are still as pristine as new.
.jpg)
Ref: 20240919_df3_20240727_1308_178 beautiful demoiselle damselfly female(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 26 Jun 2024
at 10:46 Image of day on 27 Jul 2024
A delicate female Beautiful Demoiselle Damselfly poised for a moment on a leaf.
This and the Banded form of Demoiselle seem to live a a few weeks, but they
never seem to pick up the wing damage that their larger Dragonfly relatives
seem to quickly acquire.
.jpg)
Ref: 20240727_df3_20240626_1046_082 beautiful demoiselle damselfly female(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 18 Jun 2024
at 16:13 Image of day on 19 Jul 2024
A female Beautiful Demoiselle Damselfly.
.jpg)
Ref: 20240719_r70_20240618_1613_022 beautiful demoiselle damselfly female(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 02 Jun 2024
at 17:58 Image of day on 30 Jun 2024
A female Beautiful Demoiselle Damselfly, here perched on a leaf, is distinct from the male.
There are still more males than females, but in nothing like the
numbers of either from the last few years.
.jpg)
Ref: 20240630_r70_20240602_1758_131 beautiful demoiselle damselfly female(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 19 May 2024
at 17:53 Image of day on 16 Jun 2024
This is the only female Beautiful Demoiselle Damselfly we have seen before
the weather turned cold and we stopped seeing any at all.
The white spots near the wing tips only appear on the female.
.jpg)
Ref: 20240616_r70_20240519_1753_240 beautiful demoiselle damselfly female(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 03 Jun 2022
at 10:26 Image of day on 17 Jul 2022
and here a female.
.jpg)
Ref: 20220717_df3_20220603_1026_090 beautiful demoiselle damselfly female(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 23 Jun 2021
at 16:02 Image of day on 26 Jul 2021
A female Beautiful Demoiselle Damselfly - the brown colour of the wings is
clear in this photo, so it is NOT a Banded Demoiselle
.jpg)
Ref: 20210726_df3_20210623_1602_138 beautiful demoiselle damselfly female(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 12 Jun 2021
at 14:53 Image of day on 17 Jul 2021
A female Beautiful Demoiselle Damselfly.
The wingspan is about 7cm - much larger than most Damselflies.
Walking down a path with dozens of these fluttering around you
is quite one of the most magical experiences we know.
.jpg)
Ref: 20210717_d73_20210612_1453_055 beautiful demoiselle damselfly female(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 29 May 2020
at 17:37 Image of day on 02 Jul 2020
A female Beautiful Demoiselle Damselfly catching the vivid metallic glint
at the tail end very well. The number of both sexes have declined steeply in the
last few days from 50 or so to just an occasional sighting.
.jpg)
Ref: 20200702_d73_20200529_1737_010 beautiful demoiselle damselfly female(r+mb id@768).jpg
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