What a way to kick off a new month! I’ve seen Azure Damselflies a-plenty for the last week or so, but I hadn’t yet spotted a red one till now!
So, this is the large red damselfly. It lives in the margins of ponds, lakes, ditches and canals and nearby grass and woodland. It is the first damselfly to emerge in the year and can be seen from April to August. The males are bright red with black and red striped thorax and black bands near the end of their tail. Females tend to be blacker, with some almost entirely black. The small red damselfly has pink legs and is a paler shade of red. The male doesn’t have the red stripes on its thorax.