what is this Banded damoiselle eating ?

[Naturenutz]

Hi ,this is one of my favourite shots from the summer ,its a banded damoiselle but what is it eating ? Thanks for any replies .

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Naturenutz

Hi ,this is one of my favourite shots from the summer ,its a banded damoiselle but what is it eating ? Thanks for any replies .

Not sure, but it's a male Beautiful Demoiselle not a Banded!

[Naturenutz]

Aeshna i think you will agree its a banded demoiselle unless i am mistaken,but i can see why you thought beautiful .

[Jim Ford]

I'd agree that it's a Beautiful Demoiselle - pretty much like this one:



Jim

[Harry Eales]

Originally Posted by Naturenutz

Aeshna i think you will agree its a banded damoiselle unless i am mistaken,but i can see why you thought beautiful .

I agree, it's a Banded Demoiselle, but it isn't obvious until you enlarge the picture.

As to what it's eating, that's one of the small brown Lacewings (Neuroptera)

You can't get these down to species unless you have a really close look with a good lens. Photo's of Lacewings, (even large ones) are very difficult to ID with only a very few exceptions.

Harry

[Naturenutz]

Thanks Harry ,i was sure the thumb print on the wings on the second photo was a definite id point for banded demoiselle,but aeshna and jim know their stuff,as you say its not obvious in the photo.Thanks for the lacewing id,i thought i would not get an id on that.

[RoyW]

I can't help with your actual question about the prey (Harry seems to have answered that one though), but I am more in agreement with Aeshna & Jim than Harry and yourself about the identity of the demoiselle!

I can not see this as a Banded Demoiselle. The pattern of the dark/clear areas on the wings is not right (the dark/clear areas should meet in a distinct curve near the tip, and in British Bandeds the dark should not extend quite as far down the wings), and it looks like only some of the wings may have the clear tip.

For me this is either a Beautiful Demoiselle with unusually extensive clear areas on some of the wings, or it is a hybrid between the two species (because I have to admit that it does not really look right for Beautiful either).

Roy.

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by Naturenutz

aeshna and jim know their stuff

'aeshna' might, but I don't!

What sort of water was it on - muddy or clean gravel bottom?

I understand that the banded like muddy bottom and the beautiful gravel.

Jim

[Naturenutz]

I presumed it was the angle of light making the thumb print awkward to id,now you have me baffled roy ,does beautiful demoiselle not have one colour tone throughout,these have clear wing patches even if the thumb print is not the normal shape.The demoiselles were perched in trees at about head height in a field near a gravel and silt mixed bed small river.Both species are definately present in the area of river.roy has just identified a female photo from the same spot as beautiful demoiselle.I have had some more obvious banded demoiselles from the same spot.I first thought it was just the angle of light now i am beginning to think hybrid maybe a possibility or its just the angle and light decieving us.

[Naturenutz]

Maybe to confuse things ,these photo,s were taken in the same field .