Large Red Damselfly

Pyrrhosoma nymphula

Common & widespread in Britain.

Mature Males have red eyes and a black thorax with red shoulder stripes in mature specimen, but yellow stripes in Immature.

In fact ante-humeral stripes change to red with age.

Abdomen is red with black small rings and bronze-black bands towards the apex (segments 7-9).

Wings are hyaline, with a blackish pterostigma.

Mature Females occur in three colour forms (typical, fulvipes and melanotum), from mostly black to mostly red, but all have yellow bands around the abdominal segments

These Damselflies can easily be confused with Small Red damselflies, but the latter has orange legs, while the Large Red damselfly has black legs.

Flies from Late May-August.