Large Red Damselfly

Pyrrhosoma nymphula

The Large Red Damselfly ''Pyrrhosoma nymphula'' is a European damselfly. It is one of the first damselflies to emerge in the year.
Large Red Damselfly - male (5:1), Heesch, Netherlands https://www.jungledragon.com/image/93550/large_red_damselfly_-_male_2.51_heesch_netherlands.html Henriette found this struggling damselfly on the doorstep of our garden, saving it from being squashed as we regularly pass through there. It looked bodily intact yet barely moving and very sandy. It made no attempt to flee or escape. I already had it in a tube as a stacking subject, when I changed my mind and gave it a second chance. It put it in a sunny place and gave it drips of water. I waited for 4 hours yet it stayed in its miserable state. It wasn't going to make it. I found 4 more of the same species in the garden, all healthy. As a side note: it concerns me to find insects that are bodily intact yet dying. It has me thinking they may have a neurological problem. Read: they are poisoned. I live in an area with intense agriculture and it is known that some pesticides are designed to attach to receptors in the insect's brain, poisoning them very slowly. I don't have the skill or evidence to suggest that this is what happened, it's just something on my mind. This looks to be the male of the species. Both shots are side views at 2.5 and 5 x macro, respectively, lit by a single flash with a big diffuser. Extreme Macro,Extreme Macro Portraits,Large Red Damselfly,Pyrrhosoma nymphula,WeMacro

Appearance

Females occur in many colour forms, but all have yellow bands around the abdominal segments.
They can easily be confused with Small red damselflies.
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Behavior

One of the most common damselflies, the Large Red Damselfly is often the first damselfly to emerge, usually in April or May. They inhabit a variety of waters, and on a summer day the dash of red perfectly complements the blue of Azure and Common Blue Damselflies.
Large red damselfly, newly emerged It's a shame I was just too late to see this little one emerging, but excited all the same to now have two by my little pond. I must be doing something right! https://www.jungledragon.com/image/93690/large_red_emerged_3.html Geotagged,Large Red Damselfly,Odonata,Pyrrhosoma nymphula,Spring,United Kingdom,damselflies,insects,isle of wight

Habitat

It inhabits ponds and dykes, and occasionally slow-moving rivers.

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