Did you know that dragonflies have remained almost unchanged in structure for 60 million years?  The fossilised wing of one of the oldest specimens in the world was found in a coal mine beneath Bolsover in the 1980s!

No summer outing would be complete without hearing the tell-tale sound of a patrolling dragonfly as it hunts over a nearby pond. Their aerial manouvres rival the fastest military aircraft as they duck and turn in pursuit of prey, or narrowly avoid the clutches of hungry hobbies. These adaptable insects lord over wetlands, moorland and even woodland glades, feeding on flies, midges and even each other. If you thought butterflies were the only insects worth a second glance, these multi-coloured, iridescent predators demand appreciation too.

There are 17 species of damselfly and 23 species of dragonfly resident in the UK, with the occasional visitor from continental Europe.  Yet here in Derbyshire there are only 13 species of dragonfly and nine of damselfly that are resident in the county - with the occasional visitor!

Dragonflies are much larger than damselflies or demoiselles.  They always have their wings held out at right angles to their bodies, compared to damselflies who will usually close their wings over their bodies.

Emperor dragonflies:

Male emperor dragonflies fly almost continuously over still water, looking large and powerful. Their abdomens are predominantly blue, with an apple-green thorax and a black stripe running the length of the body. Females are similar, but a duller greeny-blue. Both have greeny-blue eyes. This species is recognised by the combination of its large size and mostly blue colour.

It is a common species of large ponds and lakes, as well as canals and ditches, but is rarely found away from water. The female lays her eggs in floating pondweed. One of the largest dragonfly species in Europe, the emperor dragonfly flies up high to look for insect-prey, such as butterflies and chaser dragonflies. It catches its prey in mid-air and may eat it on the wing.

Souther Hawker:

If you see a dragonfly in your garden it is most likely to be a southern hawker. They breed in small garden ponds and will hunt in any sheltered garden that has plenty of insects!  They can be seen patrolling a regular patch of water when hunting, or often 'hawking' through woodland rides. Hawkers are the largest and fastest flying dragonflies; they catch their insect-prey mid-air and can hover or fly backwards.

The Southern hawker is mostly black in colour. The male has lime green spots all along the body, pale blue bands on the last three segments of the abdomen, blue-green eyes, and large green patches on the thorax. The female is paler, with pale green spots and brownish eyes.

Brown hawker:

If you see a large brown dragonfly, often well away from water, it will be a brown hawker. This is the only species with brown tinted wings – an easy ID feature!

Even in flight, the Brown hawker can be easily recognised by its entirely chocolate-brown body and tiny yellow-and-blue markings. The wings are golden-orange in colour and the male has a noticeable 'waisted' appearance.

It can be found some distance from its breeding grounds, hawking woodland rides late into the evening.

Common darter:

The widespread common darter males start off dull yellow maturing to a dull red in colour while the females and immature adults are golden-brown.  Their habit of repeatedly returning to the same bankside stem or pale wooden boarding makes them much easier to see than restless hawker dragonflies.

So if you are near (still) water somewhere and see a brown or reddish dragonfly perching on bankside vegetation it is likely to be either the common darter or our next dragonfly, the four spot chaser.

Black tailed skimmer:

The male Black-tailed skimmer has a grey thorax and a powder-blue abdomen with yellow spots along the sides and a black tip. The female is yellowy-brown with two black stripes running the length of the body. There are several medium-sized, pale blue dragonflies that can be confused. This species can be distinguished from the others by its narrow abdomen with black tip and yellow spots along the side.

Broad bodied chaser:

The broad, flattened body of the Broad-bodied chaser is distinctive and makes this dragonfly appear 'fat'. The male has a powder-blue body with yellow spots along the sides and a dark thorax; the female is greeny-brown. There are several medium-sized, pale blue dragonflies that can be confused. This species can be distinguished by the combination of its broad, blue body and chocolate-brown eyes.

The Migrant hawker:

The Migrant hawker is a medium-sized hawker dragonfly that is on the wing from the end of July through to October, or even November in warm years. It is a very common species and can be found hunting in gardens, grassland and woodland some distance from its breeding ponds. Hawkers are the largest and fastest flying dragonflies; they catch their insect-prey mid-air and can hover or fly backwards.

The Migrant hawker is mostly dark brown and black in colour. The male has pale blue spots and yellow flecks all along the body, dark blue eyes, and pale yellow-and-blue patches on the thorax. The female has yellowish spots and brownish eyes. The black-and-blue hawkers are a tricky group of dragonflies to identify. The Migrant hawker is smaller and has more brown on it than the other three large species (Common, Azure and Southern Hawkers) and is not on the wing at the same time as the Hairy Dragonfly.

Carr Vale Nature Reserve - With 17 species, this former coalfield is one of the best dragonfly sites in Derbyshire. The big four are emperor dragonfly, four-spotted chaser, black-tailed skimmer and ruddy darter, all threatened in the county.