Large red damselfly - Pyrrhosoma nymphula - Family: Coenagriidae

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Large red damselfly - Pyrrhosoma nymphula
© Dr Chris Gibson/English Nature

The only red-coloured damselflies likely to be seen in garden ponds, large red damselflies vary in colour from orange to deep crimson according to age and may have a variable amount of black markings on the abdomen.

This is one of the first damselflies to be seen in the year, sometimes emerging in late April. It flies through to July and may be seen far from water. The aquatic larvae take two years to complete development, before climbing up emergent vegetation. Once out of the water, the larva fastens itself securely to a perch. Metamorphosis then occurs and the adult insect expands and dries its wings before flying off. There is no pupal stage in the development of dragonflies and damselflies.

Food

Predatory: adults on small flying insects; larvae on small aquatic invertebrates.

Plants

Lesser spearwort

Prey

Bluebottle, Common green colonel fly, Corixa punctata, Flies, Greenbottle, Microchrysa polita, Mosquitoes and midges, Noon fly, Platystoma seminationis, Water invertebrates