hiya bucks in Bourne End, Flackwell Heath, Marlow, Wycombe, Wooburn June 2017 | Page 10

DAMSELFLIES AND DEMOISELLES PART 2 I have witnessed Blue Tailed Damselflies at Millstream Fork more often than other species probably because they prefer gardens and ponds. I then used Blue Tailed Damselflies as my introductory marker to help me identify other flying insects. When I continuously made comparisons and contrasts with this one creature I knew very well, other damselflies later become easier to distinguish. Whilst the Blue Tailed Damselflies are more common than other types, the Large Red is the second most common species which visit the garden. However, some scarcer sights include the Azure and the Common Blue Dameslflies. It is worth noting that these species all prefer clear streams, such as the millstream, as well as the river from which it flows. Even though some damselflies are ubiquitous the Banded Demoiselle is the most commonly seen species in this second group. They can be distinguished by their 45mm blue body stems and large dark blue spots on each of their four wings. All of the British damselflies have one of nature’s most unusual mating rituals. It begins when the female uses her wings to signal to her selected partner that she is ready for mating. The coupling position seems awkward and excruciating. The male locks the rear of his abdomen onto the back of her neck, then she loops her tail forward and locks onto the male’s chest which forms a heart shaped pattern. Sometimes the male persists with this bond while she lays her fertile eggs. He does this because he wants to be sure that the female is not intercepted by another male who could then replace his sperm with a new mating. In this way he senses an instinctive guarantee that the eggs she lays will produce his progeny. After the initial coupling, when the male firmly fixes his body to his mates, the female usually descends towards the bottom of the pond using a water plant where she lays her eggs. She remains underwater long enough by creating air bubbles around her body which she uses to breathe whilst submerged. She injects her fertilised eggs into the centre of the plant’s stem, from which larvae will eventually emerge as aquatic nymphs. (Sometime afterwards these nymphs climb up lilies or grasses at the pond margins to pupate, split their skins and become winged beauties.) However, laying eggs is a dangerous task for a female damselfly because if she runs out of air bubbles, or somehow cannot resurface in time, she will drown. Other dangers include being eaten by spiders and other pond predators. Unfortunately, I have not seen any of these underwater processes in the exact moment in which they happened at Millstream Fork, even though I know they have occurred here because we have witnessed many damselflies mating over the decades. Many often keep to the same water where they hatched, which has been good news for me; however, others will still fly away to find new or unattended ponds. Now I know more about these flying creatures, I can understand why Damselflies and Demoiselles are seen more often at Millstream Fork than the larger bodied Dragonflies. Either way I know they are just as spectacular as their bigger cousins. Contact Andy on 01895 520184 | email [email protected] www.ffes.org.uk Andy Mydellton, author and journalist, leads the South Buckinghamshire registered charity, the Foundation for Endangered Species. Being based in South Bucks, they are in a position to advise people in this area about wildlife. 10 | hiyabucks.com