Stephen Barlow and Jake Dudderidge have both been enjoying Demoiselles and Clubtails on the River Severn in Shrewsbury. Stephen sent in these photos illustrating the ‘clubbed tail’ of the adult male. Typically only Banded Demoiselles are seen in the Quarry Park, but increasingly Beautiful Demoiselles are being seen too. The male Beautiful Demoiselle (below right) is easy to identify with the fully pigmented dark wing, but the females (far below left) are challenging. The position of the white pseudopterostigma is nearer the end of the wing in Banded Demoiselle females than in Beautiful. Jake’s photo of a female Banded Demoiselle (far below right) seen in the same location provides a comparison.
Jake also sent a lovely Clubtail exuvia photo showing the presence of white threads (old tracheal linings) that prove the adult has emerged -always worth checking for these before you try to collect any exuviae!
