Emerald

Female Western Willow Spreadwing (Chalcolestes viridis)

We haven't seen much in the way of dragonflies and damselflies on the property to date — only a double handful of species, and many of those seen only in flight, rocketing past over the flower beds. But occasionally, we find a new species, and sometimes we even find one hanging out in the garden. Such was the case with this female Western Willow Spreadwing (Chalcolestes viridis), also widely known as Willow Emerald Damselfly, which I found resting on one of our shrubs recently. The source of its common name is clear in the photo above; this damselfly regularly sits with its wings outspread rather folded neatly together over its back, like most damselflies do. This was a rare species in the UK until quite recently. It was first recorded on the islands back in the late 1970s, and is thought to have first bred here in 2009. Numbers have increased fairly dramatically since then, and these delicate insects are now reasonably common across the south-east of England. The large pale spots (known as pterostigmas) on its wings and the metallic green sheen of its body help to identify this species. The individual pictured above is a female; she lacks the claspers (used in mating) that a male would have at the tip of his abdomen. They're particularly fond of habitats with standing water, though they're also known to wander far from water. Females lay their eggs in thin twigs overhanging standing or slow-moving water sources, and adults often rest in trees and bushes, like the female I found here. With any luck, we'll get some breeding in the garden once we install our pond.