The Southern Emerald Damselfly (Lestes barbarus)

With March very much on the horizon, the season moves ever nearer with a lot of dragonfly and damselfly nymphs entering their last stage as a nymph before emerging into adults to start the cycle off again. However, as I look out at the garden pond, it is completely frozen over and covered in snow which seems to have engulfed parts of the south of England in the past few days, and likely to continue for a few days yet. I wonder how these sun loving adult dragonflies cope as nymphs in these freezing temperatures and manage to stay alive? Another of those mysteries that nature throws at us. This weather has given me ample time to look back through a number of images taken over the years whereby I come across a number of images taken of the rare Southern Emerald Damselfly I found in east Kent in July 2014. These damselflies have probably the shortest flight period of the damselflies which makes them all the more challenging to find. I have only seen this damselfly twice, my first time being a single male at a traditional site at Cliffe Marshes RSPB reserve where they seemingly continue to breed in small numbers. I used to visit a site nearby to where I live until access was stopped which hosted an excellent variety of species and on one visit in July, I managed to find a few Scarce Emerald Damselfly and not long after, a single male Southern Emerald Damselfly. These damselflies are stunners and are easily identified by their metallic green bodies and bicoloured wing spots. How this individual ended up at this site remains unknown. Had it emerged from the site as it was in excellent condition or migrated from another site nearby? I was fortunate to visit over a short period and take a number of images which to date, are the best of this species I have. I really hope this year sees them appear in better numbers at Cliffe Marshes in accessible areas and that I get to visit again and enjoy them. Another date for the diary which seems to be getting filled up quite quickly already. As stated earlier, it's March this week and only a few weeks to go now until the first Large Red Damselflies think about emerging...if the weather warms up considerably!

 

Southern Emerald Damselfly (male)