Mayford Heritage Pond

Dragonflies

For such a small, fairly isolated site, the pond has to date attracted 13 species of this beautiful insect, of which 9 have been observed laying eggs.

The most obvious of these are the electric blue Broad-bodied Chaser that tears around the pond like a spitfire, and Britain’s largest dragonfly, the Emperor.

Also present are the bright red Common and Ruddy Darters, Brown and Southern Hawkers, and several damselflies such as Azure, Blue-tailed, Large Red, and Red-eyed. The lucky visitor may even find a Banded Demoiselle.

Dragonflies were once known as Horse Stingers due to their fearsome appearance, and Damselflies were the Devil’s Darning-needles because of their brightly-coloured thin bodies.

English Name	Scientific Name	National Status	Comments
Beautiful Damoiselle	Calopteryx virgo	Common	Rare visitor
Banded Demoiselle	Calopteryx splendens	Common	Occasional visitor
Large Red Damselfly	Pyrrhosoma nymphula	Common	Breeding
Azure Damselfly	Coenagrion puella	Common	Breeding
Blue-tailed Damselfly	Ischnura elegans	Common	Breeding
Common Blue Damselfly	Enallagma cyathigerum	Common	Breeding
Red-eyed Damselfly	Erythromma najas	Local	Occasional visitor
Southern Hawker	Aeshna cyanea	Common	Breeding
Brown Hawker	Aeshna cyanea	Common	Visitor
Migrant Hawker	Aeshna mixta
Emperor Dragonfly	Anax imperator	Common	Breeding
Broad-bodied Chaser	Libellula depressa	Common	Breeding
Common Darter	Sympetrum striolatum	Common	Breeding
Ruddy Darter	Sympetrum sanguineum	Local	Breeding