Emerald Damselfly (Lestes sponsa)

The Emerald Damselfly

As its name suggests this is a member of the green family of damselflies and it is a common sight right across virtually the whole of the United Kingdom.

The Emerald prefers shallow bodies of still water with plenty of tall grassy vegetation around the margins and adjoining areas. They may be found on a very wide variety of habitats including bogs, ditches, canals, ponds and lakes.

It can be seen from late June through to September but is at its best in late July and August when they are fully mature and at their most vibrant and colourful.

The females are all green with a thicker abdomen than in the male and have brown eyes. The males are mainly green but have blue segments on the base and tip of their abdomens. They also have striking bright blue eyes.

The Emerald differs from other species in that when at rest it nearly always has its wings spread in the dragonfly type pose; where as most other damselflies tend to sit with their wings closed and parallel to their bodies.

This open wing stance creates a very small focusing area on the top of the thorax and some DSLR camera's will struggle to auto focus on such a small plane, which can be very frustrating. If this problem arises try manual focusing instead.