More Willow Emeralds

I hope readers of this blog wont get bored with Willow Emerald posts, but this is an exciting time and I am sure to post many more before their season finishes at the end of October. It hasn't been since 2006 that a new dragonfly species has colonised Northants, although this is the third colonisation event since my tenure as County recorder began (Small Red-eyed Damselfly in 2004, Scarce Chaser in 2006 and Willow Emerald Damselfly in 2016). It gives a great opportunity to study a new species as well as watch as it spreads. So far, no Willows have been seen outside of Finedon Pocket Park, but I can't imagine they are not elsewhere.

Today, I was lucky enough to encounter this male on a dead branch beneath the middle Willow tree, with an absolutely perfectly clean background. The top picture clearly shows the three diagnostic features of the male: 1) pale wing spots (called pterostigma); 2) lack of pale blue coloration to the thorax and abdomen; 3) the claspers at the end of his sbdomen.