very big dragonfly larvae

[rooftop]

Hi Wabbers,
I suppose this pic might just be 'a trick of the light', but in photographing one of our garden pond frogs, the camera has also captured what looks like a very large dragonfly larvae!

[sebastianbawn]

I would say, judging by the shape, that it belongs to one of the following families...

Gomphidae, Corduliidae or Libellulidae

It does look very large!

[Bellow]

yes I,d agree with Seb.and also add Orthetrum cancellatum(Blk Tailed Skimmer)
Bellow.

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by Bellow

yes I,d agree with Seb.and also add Orthetrum cancellatum(Blk Tailed Skimmer)
Bellow.

Sebastion had that covered with "Libellulidae", which includes Orthetrum, Libellula, Sympetrum, and a single species of Leuchorrhinia in the UK.


This larva looks like Libellula, and because the edges of the labial palps appear to be deeply serrated I would plump for L. depressa (Broad-bodied Chaser).
It does look pretty large next to the frog!

[Jason Green]

...you can make-out the labial palps?

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

...you can make-out the labial palps?

Yes. In dragonfly larvae with this type of body form, the "mask" which makes up the entire lower half of the face (and appears darker in rooftops photo) is actually a couple of enlarged labial palps which are folded across the face.
The depth of the serations where the two palps meet is a useful feature for the identification of some of the different species - but although the palps can be seen this feature is not clear enough in the photo for a certain ID!

[Jason Green]

Oh, they're the labials then! oh dear - I'm really not up on Odonates! I was thinking more along the lines of trying, and failing for that matter, to often see the LPs on sawflies, sphecids and that in photos (which are much thinner, usually ventral).