Brown Hawker Aeshna grandis (Linnaeus, 1758)

Cambridge, garden, 8th July 2001.

Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta Latreille, 1805

• Cambridge: male (left) 5 Aug 2001, female (right) 12 Aug 2002.
• Both sexes have the "T" mark on the thorax, the tranverse stripe on the male is interrupted.
• A little over 60mm long.
• Once a migrant to Britain, now an incrasingly common resident.

Black-tailed skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum (Linnaeus, 1758)

Cambridge Science Park TL464618; 26 Jun 2002 From this angle it is hard to see whether the abdomen is flattened as in Libellula depressa. However that species has blue on the abdomen almost to the tip, and dark wing roots which would be visible from here.

Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum (Charpentier, 1840)

Not much bigger than a damsel fly - about 43mm long overall.

Ruddy Darters S. sanguineum are rather similar but have all black legs and are rather smaller (35mm). In this species the legs are at least partly light colour.