near Little Baddow on several dates between 1939 and 1957 (specimens in B.M. (N.H.)
and C.E.M.). and it was reported from the Stour at Nayland (Essex Naturalist. No. 28.
p.152) during an Essex Field Club outing on June 26th. 1948. Pinniger also reported it
from Little Parndon, presumably on the Stort, in 1949 (Pinniger. Syms and Ward.
1950).
Comparison of these earlier records with the current status of C. splendens suggests a
remarkably constant distribution. The species remains locally common and even
abundant on slow moving reaches of rivers and canals across west, central and north
Essex: these include the Stort. Lee. Roding. Blackwater. Chelmer/Blackwater
Navigation, Stour. Colne. Roman River and several of their tributaries. So far the
species has not been recorded from the Cam or its tributaries in the north-west, and
appears to be scarce in south Essex, except on the lower reaches of the Lee and Roding
(where it seems to have survived the recent pollution incident). There is a recent record
from the River Ingrebourne (S. Brooks, pers. comm.) and another from a stream in
south-east Essex (Barry Watts, per R. G. Payne). C. splendens is now known to occur in
thirty 10 km. squares in the county, (compared with records from some ten 10 km.
squares prior to 1979).
Lestes sponsa (Hansemann, 1823) Emerald Damselfly
This species is the more common of our two green damselflies. and is also the more
delicately-built (see Lestes dryas for distinguishing features). Apart from the possibility
of confusion with L. dryas, females or immature males of L. sponsa might be mistaken
for females of Calopteryx species, but note the tinted wings of the latter, their larger size,
and generally quite different habit.
At rest, emerald damselflies hold their wings half-open, in a position intermediate
between typical damselfly and dragonfly resting postures. They characteristically
inhabit sites with dense emergent vegetation, such as Yellow Iris. Reed-mace. Common
Spike-rush. or. in coastal marshes. Sea Club-rush. Like Coenagrion puella they seem not
to require areas of open water, and are frequently found in ditches, or shallow ponds
which are entirely choked with reeds or rushes. Much of their time is spent either at rest
on leaves or stems of reeds, or making short flights between perches.
In Essex the species is one of the small number of species which thrive in quite
brackish conditions in coastal or estuarine ditches, especially where these are neglected
or overgrown. Lestes sponsa is also a characteristic species of the older, shallower and
more densely vegetated former sand-and-gravel workings, but it also occurs in parkland
and forest lakes, overgrown farm ponds, and. uncommonly, in slow-moving streams
(the Cornmill Stream and Holland Brook) where these have a rich marginal vegetation
and associated water-meadows with ditches.
C. Longfield (1937) described 'in tandem' egg-laying in this species, during which the
female becomes completely submerged to place her eggs in plant stems. As in other
species, it seems that there is some individual behavioural variability, as I recently
observed oviposition by a 'solo' female of this species near the edge of a pond in which
there was no remaining free water at all. She laid her eggs singly, after carefully making
incisions in a stem of Common Spike-rush, starting some 9 inches above ground level.
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