Hello from the Golden Valley

grymalkyn · #1 (**permalink**) 04-06-2009, 02:36 PM

Hi, I'm new and I have a question.

Was by the pond and saw this 2 inch long black-n-yellow flying insect, more black than yellow, stubby body a bit like a cigar. Wings going too fast to see properly. It can hover, was about 18 inches over the water, would then fly into the tall plants at the edge. Looked a bit like a giant wasp, quite fat body. what is it?

sunnydale · #2 (**permalink**) 04-06-2009, 03:06 PM

Sounds like a Club-tailed dragonfly to me! A very pretty creature to have in your garden, if it was

Check out the Gallery on here to see if it matches what you saw.

Welcome to WAB by the way!

Hedge Witch · #3 (**permalink**) 04-06-2009, 03:09 PM

Welcome to WAB

Might be one of the Chaser or Skimmer Dragonflies. Possibly a Broad-bodied Chaser

Hedge

treecreeper · #4 (**permalink**) 04-06-2009, 03:12 PM

Hope you enjoy the site grymalkin. I've not heard of the Golden Valley but the name suggests a profusion of buttercups. Sounds very botanical.

grymalkyn · #5 (**permalink**) 04-06-2009, 03:37 PM

Not one of those, much fatter! It's like a piece of chalk only black & yellow. The body is really fat, lipstick-size, and about 2 inches (5cm) long. I've seen them around before but I don't know what it is.

We have lots of dragon and damsel flies as well. This beastie is not pretty, very butch and could be intimidating as it reminds of a huge wasp. Not a hornet either, wrong shape and too black. As far as I could see the wings were relatively rounded and stubby rather than the gorgeous "Arthur Rackham" fairy-wings of dragon and damsel flies.

Glad to be here at WAB

, hope to learn lots more things.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunnydale

Sounds like a Club-tailed dragonfly to me! A very pretty creature to have in your garden, if it was

Check out the Gallery on here to see if it matches what you saw.

Welcome to WAB by the way!

grymalkyn · #6 (**permalink**) 04-06-2009, 03:41 PM

Chuckle ... we do have a lot of buttercups but the name comes from that of the river - river Dore - which has made folk thing of "gold" in French. The name is far older though and means "water". So, like many rivers, the River Dore, is called the "river river (as the River Wye, for instance) or "river water" as in this case :-). we're on the borders between Wales and England.

Quote:

Originally Posted by treecreeper

Hope you enjoy the site grymalkin. I've not heard of the Golden Valley but the name suggests a profusion of buttercups. Sounds very botanical.

grymalkyn · #7 (**permalink**) 04-06-2009, 03:48 PM

Might have been a broad-bodied chaser, possibly, but no hint of blue, definitely black. The other dragonflies look like dragonflies, this certainly didn't. Ho hum

, I'l continue searching.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hedge Witch

Welcome to WAB

Might be one of the Chaser or Skimmer Dragonflies. Possibly a Broad-bodied Chaser

Hedge

Hedge Witch · #8 (**permalink**) 04-06-2009, 03:52 PM

Have a look at a picture of a mature female Broad-bodied Chaser on the internet.

welsh.lensman · #9 (**permalink**) 05-06-2009, 01:01 AM

Hi grymalkyn and welcome to WAB, enjoy.

Rambling Rob · #10 (**permalink**) 05-06-2009, 11:15 AM

Hiya grymalkyn,

No help with the insect I'm afraid (sounds intriguing), but I like your Golden Valley story. The same story is told in the film Shadowlands, about CS Lewis - have you seen that one? Whether its is based on fact or not I don't know, but Lewis (played by Anthony Hopkins) is on honeymoon with Joy Gresham when he sets out to find the Golden Valley which was the subject of a favourite painting from his childhood. It looks beautiful in the film, also featuring a Morris Minor..

Apologies for rambling off subject,

Rob