Earliest & Latest Dates, 2002

By Richard Fray

These dates, for flying adult dragonflies and damselflies, have been compiled from the data received by this website in 2002, through the Latest News page and some reports received at the end of the year.

I have converted this information into a rough graph at the foot of the page, which should give everyone an idea of what species to look out for at which times of year. However, it should be remembered that the graph only depicts the information received for 2002 in Leicestershire & Rutland, so any species you think you've encountered this year that falls outside of these dates should not be discounted; rather, it should be looked at twice, just in case! And then, of course, reported for our Latest News page...

SPECIES	EARLIEST	LATEST
Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula	24th April - Priory Water (MTR) 8th May - Cossington North GP 11th May - Thorpe Satchville	14th Jul - Charnwood Lodge 16th Jul - Wanlip South GP/Birstall GP 28th Jul - Little Stretton Pool (CT)
Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens	2nd May - R Soar, Dishley Pool (PC) 18th May - Wanlip South GP 18th May - Birstall GP	28th Aug - R. Soar, Leicester 1st Sep - Thorpe Satchville 7th Sep - Frisby GP (MB)
Four-spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata	10th May - Dishley Pool (PC) c28th may - Priory Water 1st June - nr Huncote	20th Jul - Priory Water 28th Jul - Little Stretton Pool 15th Aug - Fosse Meadows (AB)
Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyiathigerum	10th May - R Soar, Dishley Pool (PC) 25th May - Kelham Bridge c28th May - Priory Water	1st Sep - Huncote/Croft, Thorpe Satchville, Dishley Pool 29th Sep - Priory Water (MTR)
Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans	11th May - Whetstone (MPS) 11th May - Frisby GP (MB) 30th May - Evan's Weir, R Soar	1st Sep - Huncote, Priory Water, Dishley Pool 21st Sep - Thorpe Satch (SH), Frisby GP (MB)
Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella	11th May - Frisby GP (MB) 23rd May - Egleton, Rutland Water c28th May - Priory Water	24th Aug - Burbage Common 1st Sep - Huncote/Croft (CDB, AB) 1st Sep - Priory Water (SH)
Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma najas	11th May - Frisby GP/Kirby La (MB) 1st Jun - Grantham Canal 19th Jun - R. Soar, Leicester	28th Jul - Wanlip S GP, R. Soar Sileby 2nd Aug - Oakham Canal 7th Sep - Frisby GP (MB)
Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum	23rd May - Kelham Bridge (IM) 19th Jun - Charnwood Lodge 22nd Jun - Egleton, Rutland Water	1st Sep - Frisby GP (MB) 1st Sep - Thorpe Satchville (SH) 1st Sep - Kirby Lakes (MTR)
Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa	29th May - Frisby GP (MB) 1st Jun -Thurlaston Brook nr Huncote 4th Jun - Thorpe Satchville/Burbage	13th Jul - Lt Stretton, Egleton, RW 20th Jul - Priory Water 26th Jul - Bradgate Park (MB)
Variable Damselfly Coenagrion pulchellum	31st May - Grantham Canal (MB) 16th Jun - Thorpe Satchville	16th Jun - Thorpe Satchville 7th Jul - Grantham Canal (CT) Only recorded at these two sites
Hairy Dragonfly Brachytron pratense	1st Jun - North Arm, Rutland Water (SML) 2nd Jun - Grantham Canal (IM, CT, CL)	1st Jun - North Arm, Rutland Water (SML) 2nd Jun - Grantham Canal (IM, CT, CL) These were the only records of the year
Brown Hawker Aeshna grandis	16th Jun - Frisby GP (MB) 26th Jun - Abbey Meadow, Leicester 6th Jul - Priory Water	22nd Sep - Priory Water 29th Sep - Frisby GP (MB) 29th Sep - Thorpe Satchville (SH)
Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator	17th Jun - Burbage Common (AB) 17th Jun - Grantham Canal (SML) 19th Jun - nr Huncote	21st Aug - Bradgate Park (MB) 21st Aug - R Soar, Leicester (CT) 21st Aug - North Arm, Rutland Water (DB)
Red-veined Darter Sympetrum fonscolombii	19th Jun - Huncote (AB) 3rd Jul - Kelham Bridge (IM, GF, BF)	19th Jun - Huncote Embankment (AB) 3rd Jul - Kelham Bridge (IM, GF, BF) These were the only records of the year
White-legged Damselfly Platycnemis pennipes	23rd Jun - Frisby GP (MB) 29th Jun - GU Canal, N Kilworth/Gumley 7th Jul - GU Canal, Wistow/Sadd Res	28th Jul - R. Wreake, Thrussington/Hoby 28th Jul - R. Soar, Sileby/Mountsorrel 20th Aug - Ashby Folville (SH)
Emerald Damselfly Lestes sponsa	25th Jun - pools nr Stoughton (CT) 7th Jul - Saddington Res 14th Jul - Charnwood Lodge	1st Sep - Huncote/Croft 1st Sep - Bagworth Heath 11th Sep - Thorpe Satchville (SH)
Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum	25th Jun - field pond, Frisby (MB) 27th Jul - Cossington North GP 27th Jul - Thorpe Satchville	8th Sep - Kirby Lakes (MTR) 8th Sep - Frisby GP, Melton CP (MB) 8th Sep - Thorpe Satchville (SH)
Southern Hawker Aeshna cyanea	29th Jun - Egleton, RW (CT) 30th Jun - Birstall GP 7th Jul - Saddington Res	28th Aug - R. Soar, Leicester 1st Sep - Huncote/Croft, Priory Water 7th Sep - Frisby GP (MB)
Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum	30th Jun - Luffenham Heath (MB) 4th Jul - Priory Water 7th Jul - Saddington Res	17th Oct - Fosse Meadows 31st Oct - Thorpe Satchville 3rd Nov - Priory Water (MTR)
Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta	21st Jul - Wanlip South GP (RPF, DG) 2nd Aug - Anstey 12th Aug - Burbage Common	6th Oct - Kirby Lakes 3rd Nov - Priory Water 7th Nov - Thorpe Satchville (SH)
Black Darter Sympetrum danae	8th Sep - Nature Alive!, Coalville (IM)	The only record of the year

SPECIES

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

Large Red Damselfly

Banded Demoiselle

Four-spotted Chaser

Common Blue Damselfly

Blue-tailed Damselfly

SPECIES

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

Red-eyed Damselfly

Azure Damselfly

Black-tailed Skimmer

Broad-bodied Chaser

Variable Damselfly

SPECIES

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

Hairy Dragonfly

Emperor Dragonfly

Brown Hawker

Red-veined Darter

White-legged Damselfly

SPECIES

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

Southern Hawker

Emerald Damselfly

Ruddy Darter

Common Darter

Migrant Hawker

Black Darter

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