Contents
Introduction 4
Ch. 1: The Survey
with a table of the flight periods and a check-list of
the Essex Species 5
Ch. 2: The Natural History of Dragonflies
The structure of Dragonflies 11
The Classification of Dragonflies 13
The British Dragonflies 14
Dragonfly Behaviour 15
The Dragonfly Life-cycle 16
The Ecology of Dragonflies 18
Observing and Studying Dragonflies 20
Ch. 3: Dragonflies and their Habitats in Essex
A. Where to look for Dragonflies
1. Still-water Habitats 22
2. Moving-water Habitats 29
B. Some Important Essex Dragonfly Sites
1. Complex Sites 34
2. Ornamental Lakes and Ponds 39
3. Flooded Mineral-extraction Sites 43
4. Coastal Dykes and Marshes 45
Ch. 4: The Essex Species
Including an account of those species recorded in Essex since 1903
and distribution maps prepared on a 'tetrad' (2km square) basis for
species recorded on the survey 1980-87
Calopteryx virgo Beautiful Demoiselle 46
Calopteryx splendens Banded Demoiselle 47
Lestes sponsa Emerald Damselfly 49
Lestes dryas Scarce Emerald Damselfly 51
Platycnemis pennipes White-legged Damselfly 54
Pyrrhosoma nymphula Large Red Damselfly 56
Ischnura elegans Blue-tailed Damselfly 57
Coenagrion scitulum Dainty Damselfly 58
Coenagrion puella Azure Damselfly 60
Coenagrion pulchellum Variable Damselfly 62
Enallagma cyathigerum Common Blue Damselfly 63
Erythromma najas Red-eyed Damselfly 65