abundant as it is today. H. Doubleday (1871) reported it to be 'common everywhere",
whilst W. H. Harwood (1903) said it was 'very common in the county, especially beside
marsh ditches near the coast'. Ischnura elegans has appeared regularly on subsequent
lists, and prior to the present survey had been recorded from some fifteen 10 km. squares
across the county. During the survey period. L. elegans has been observed associated with
virtually all aquatic habitats in the county with the exception of the most severely
polluted, and some of the more swiftly flowing reaches of calcareous streams and rivers
in the north-west. The species has now been recorded from fifty-six out of a possible
fifty-seven 10 km. squares in Essex, and quite possibly actually occurs in all. In common
with most species, the density of recorded sites diminishes towards the north-west.
Coenagrion scitulum (Rambur, 1842) Dainty Damselfly
This species, now believed extinct in Britain, had its only known sites in south-east
Essex. It was known to occur there from 1946 until its breeding sites were inundated
during the floods of 1953. Like the other members of its genus, the male is blue with
black markings. The blue thoracic stripes are complete, segment 8 of the abdomen is
without black markings, whilst those at the hind end of segment 9 are small compared
with both Coenagrion puella and Coenagrion pulchellum males. In typical males, the
black marking on segment 2 of the abdomen is a stalked 'U', with the curve thickened.
However, the markings on both segments 2 and 9 are subject to great variation. Gardner
(1952) illustrates examples in which the segment 2 marking is very similar to that found
in Enallagma cyathigerum, and the segment 9 marking may also be very reduced. Some
examples of the male, then, may closely resemble small specimens of E. cyathigerum.
The female, too. resembles the female of E. cyathigerum, but lacks the ventral spine
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