Some of the blue ones will be desperate females. They come in both colours.

Don't know a lot about mating damselflies, but the front one appears to be the male. He uses the end of his body to clasp the female around her neck.

On 17/07/2013 16:18, kay wrote:
Sacha;987755 Wrote:
On 2013-07-17 07:18:32 +0100, kay said:
-
Sacha;987743 Wrote:-


Several more blue damselfies seen today, is the male green?-

Other way round. The green one is the female.-

Ah, thanks Kay. So we have a lot of desperate males around!
-

Some of the blue ones will be desperate females. They come in both
colours.

Don't know a lot about mating damselflies, but the front one appears to
be the male. He uses the end of his body to clasp the female around her
neck.

You might find this of interest.
http://www.naturemagnified.com/2010/...lies-mate.html

On 2013-07-17 16:18:39 +0100, kay said:

Sacha;987755 Wrote:
On 2013-07-17 07:18:32 +0100, kay said:
-
Sacha;987743 Wrote:-


Several more blue damselfies seen today, is the male green?-

Other way round. The green one is the female.-

Ah, thanks Kay. So we have a lot of desperate males around!
-

Some of the blue ones will be desperate females. They come in both
colours.

Don't know a lot about mating damselflies, but the front one appears to
be the male. He uses the end of his body to clasp the female around her
neck.

Thanks, Kay, we've certainly seen a few pairs looking for somewhere to
lay eggs, flitting around the ponds and causing a flurry of delighted
shrieks from children who spot them. They're such pretty little
flashes of irridescence.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On 2013-07-17 23:32:04 +0100, David Hill said:

On 17/07/2013 16:18, kay wrote:
Sacha;987755 Wrote:
On 2013-07-17 07:18:32 +0100, kay said:
-
Sacha;987743 Wrote:-


Several more blue damselfies seen today, is the male green?-

Other way round. The green one is the female.-

Ah, thanks Kay. So we have a lot of desperate males around!
-

Some of the blue ones will be desperate females. They come in both
colours.

Don't know a lot about mating damselflies, but the front one appears to
be the male. He uses the end of his body to clasp the female around her
neck.

You might find this of interest.
http://www.naturemagnified.com/2010/...lies-mate.html

Fascinating. And what fantastic photographs. Thank you, David.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

A bit earlier in the year you can see them emerging - the larvae crawl out of the water, then slit their case and the adult emerges and clings to the vegetation for a few ours while they pump up their wings and get ready to fly - a vulnerable time for them. And if you look carefully on stems and leaves of emergent plants you may find lots of discarded exo-skeletons - looking just like the damselfly larvae in the pond, but empty!

One year I was lucky enough to find 3 cases of the much bigger dragon fly larvae on the pond just outside my study window.

On 2013-07-18 21:28:34 +0100, kay said:

Sacha;987827 Wrote:


Thanks, Kay, we've certainly seen a few pairs looking for somewhere to
lay eggs, flitting around the ponds and causing a flurry of delighted
shrieks from children who spot them. They're such pretty little
flashes of irridescence.
-

A bit earlier in the year you can see them emerging - the larvae crawl
out of the water, then slit their case and the adult emerges and clings
to the vegetation for a few ours while they pump up their wings and get
ready to fly - a vulnerable time for them. And if you look carefully on
stems and leaves of emergent plants you may find lots of discarded
exo-skeletons - looking just like the damselfly larvae in the pond, but
empty!

One year I was lucky enough to find 3 cases of the much bigger dragon
fly larvae on the pond just outside my study window.

I'm amazed any survive in the old pond here because it's teeming with
fish. But clearly they do. I'll look out for that. When's a good
time? May/June?
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

I don't know. Ours were emerging afterthe warm weather started, so that was some time in June. I suspect weather has something to do with it - maybe they don't emerge until the water has warmed up for example. And they come out on sunny mornings, not overcast or rainy days.

On 2013-07-19 23:03:23 +0100, kay said:

Sacha;987882 Wrote:

I'm amazed any survive in the old pond here because it's teeming with
fish. But clearly they do. I'll look out for that. When's a good
time? May/June?
-

I don't know. Ours were emerging afterthe warm weather started, so that
was some time in June. I suspect weather has something to do with it -
maybe they don't emerge until the water has warmed up for example. And
they come out on sunny mornings, not overcast or rainy days.

Thanks, Kay. I'll know to keep my eyes open next year!
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk