Dragonfly workshop, Leeds, July 2010

Another successful day for this annual event.

4-spotted chaser was one of the species found.

The morning was spent at the Leeds Museum Discovery Centre where, as well as lectures on identification, delegates saw part of the Museum’s collection of dragonflies and exuviae and were treated to a tour of the natural history collection by the curator, Clare Brown.

The afternoon was a field trip to Rodley LNR where Peter Mill has created a number of magnificent dragonfly ponds. Unfortunately overcast conditions reduced the activity of several larger species. None-the-less 2 Anisoptera (true dragonflies) and 5 Zygoptera (damselflies) were seen and a splendid male Aeshna grandis (Brown hawker) was caught. Libellula quadramaculata (Four-spotted chaser) was watched ovipositing. Fresh exuviae of brown hawker and Enallagma cyathigerum were also found.

Aeshna grandis - the Brown Hawker dragonfly - note the yellow-brown wings.