Recording in Cheshire 2015

Cheshire Odonata 2015

A slow start to the season saw only  Large Red Damselflies Pyrrhosoma nymphula  in April and even in May there were few insects to be found. However, by the end of the month plenty of Common Clubtail Gomphus vulgatissimus were seen on the River Dee at Aldford and Farndon. An early Emerald Damselfly Lestes sponsa was found in Delamere Forest at the end of the month and Downy Emerald Cordulia aenea was seen at Hatchmere.

The Hairy Dragonfly Brachytron pratense was noted in the usual locations and an individual seen at Marbury Park may indicate further range expansion. Poor weather in June did not help observers monitoring the White-faced Darter Leucorrhinia dubia reintroduction project and few adults were seen. White-legged Damselfly Platycnemis pennipes continues to be present on the Llangollen Canal  and this year Stephen Barlow found several adults in a new location at Wrenbury Heath on 1st July. Neil Friswell found Golden-ringed Dragonfly Cordulegaster boltonii on the Dee near Farndon. This species has been spotted in this area over a number of years but no known breeding location has been found in Cheshire or on the Welsh side of the border.

A highlight of the season came on 18th August when Andrew Goodwin discovered the first Cheshire colony of Small Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma viridulum at Warmingham Flash near Sandbach. Breeding behaviour was observed and it is hoped that this will become a permanent population.

A late Common Hawker Aeshna juncea was found by bird ringers at Oxmoor Nature Reserve on 1st October. Other October records were just Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum and Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta with the latter being latest record on the 31st. No records of Beautiful Demoiselle Calopteryx virgo were received in 2015 but this is probably down to nobody visiting the few remote locations where this species is normally seen.