Vagrant Emperor Dragonfly

[Wild-Woman]

Hope the mods don't mind the link to this but finding a dragonfly in January is somewhat of a rarity.
Wildlife Extra News - Rare vagrant emperor dragonfly found in Pembrokeshire

Wish I'd found it!

[Ukwildlifeo]

I saw this on Twitter and later the BDS website a few weeks ago. Certainly a nice find. Wales is a bit of a winter odonata hotspot recently with the winter damselfly there last winter too!

I was joking to day I'd rather see one of them than the slaty backed gull thats up near work!

[aeshna5]

Yes I saw this on another forum a couple of weeks back. Apparently the only dragonfly species ever recorded in Iceland!

Nice find for the observer!

[Wild-Woman]

What I thought was intriguing about this dragonfly is its lack of damage. You would have thought the wings sustained some kind of battering on the journey. It's in very good shape.

[LindaB]

Originally Posted by Wild-Woman

What I thought was intriguing about this dragonfly is its lack of damage. You would have thought the wings sustained some kind of battering on the journey. It's in very good shape.

Thats assuming of course that it actually flew there. There are a lot of people that keep tropical aquariums that find dragonfly and damsel larvae in their live plants - many of which are imported. Some have even had a surprise with them actually emerging. They are either killed in the tank or placed in a pond etc outside.

I am a little scepticle as to whether this flew to where it was found - my thoughts are that it may well have come from an aquarium.

Linda

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by LindaB

Thats assuming of course that it actually flew there. There are a lot of people that keep tropical aquariums that find dragonfly and damsel larvae in their live plants - many of which are imported. Some have even had a surprise with them actually emerging. They are either killed in the tank or placed in a pond etc outside.

I am a little scepticle as to whether this flew to where it was found - my thoughts are that it may well have come from an aquarium.

Linda

Although the occurence of this dragonfly in Britain in January might seem unusual, I don't really see any reason to dismiss the likelihood of it having reached here through natural means.
This one was found following southerly winds, in a part of Britain that would be consistent with an arrival from north-west Africa/south-west Europe. Winter records of this species in northern parts of Europe are rare, but not unprecedented, and the species can be found on the wing throughout the year around the Meditterranean, and in north Africa (there have been records in Spain and Portugal in January 2011 as well).

As for the lack of damage to the wings, I don't see why this would be expected. The wings of dragonflies are actually pretty tough, damage that you often see on older individuals is not caused by flight, it occurs as a result of wings hitting/being hit by solid objects (vegetation, other dragonflies, bird attacks etc). Ovipositing hawkers, and males trying to grasp females, will often literally crash through reeds/sedges etc and come out with no visible wing damage.

[Wild-Woman]

Originally Posted by RoyW

As for the lack of damage to the wings, I don't see why this would be expected. The wings of dragonflies are actually pretty tough, damage that you often see on older individuals is not caused by flight, it occurs as a result of wings hitting/being hit by solid objects (vegetation, other dragonflies, bird attacks etc). Ovipositing hawkers, and males trying to grasp females, will often literally crash through reeds/sedges etc and come out with no visible wing damage.

My first thoughts was birds. I've seen so many with chunks taken out by beaks.
I just thought that being exposed and having travelled so far, there may have been the odd bird attack.

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by Wild-Woman

My first thoughts was birds. I've seen so many with chunks taken out by beaks.
I just thought that being exposed and having travelled so far, there may have been the odd bird attack.

Few birds would be actively hunting large insects, particularly if it was out over the sea, and I would have thought that the likelihood is that the bulk of any distance that it travelled would have been at a fair altitude (so it may have passed over most potential predators).

[Naturenutz]

Just found this on a somerset forum and the dates are very similar.

A dragonfly was seen on the 11th Jan from the 1st viewpoint at Ham Wall... after talking to the man who saw it and hearing his description, a medium sized pale brown dragon, given the time of year the only species that it can plausably be is a Vagrant Emperor, a sub-saharan species that has found it's way across to the south coast several times in the last 10 years....

Very amazing record, obviously wholly unconfirmed, but if anyone sees a dragonfly at Ham Wall, do try and get a photo or at least a good view of it to get the colours

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Naturenutz

Just found this on a somerset forum and the dates are very similar.

A dragonfly was seen on the 11th Jan from the 1st viewpoint at Ham Wall... after talking to the man who saw it and hearing his description, a medium sized pale brown dragon, given the time of year the only species that it can plausably be is a Vagrant Emperor, a sub-saharan species that has found it's way across to the south coast several times in the last 10 years....

Very amazing record, obviously wholly unconfirmed, but if anyone sees a dragonfly at Ham Wall, do try and get a photo or at least a good view of it to get the colours

I don't think there have been several records over the last decade- I think the Pembrokeshire record above is the first confirmed UK record for at least 10 years.