Britain's Dragonflies is the only comprehensive photographic field guide to the damselflies and dragonflies of Britain and Ireland. Written by two of Britain's foremost experts, this fully revised and updated edition features hundreds of stunning images and identification charts covering all 56 resident, migrant and former breeding species, and seven potential vagrants. The book focuses on identification--both of adults and larvae--highlighting the key features. Detailed species profiles provide concise information on identification, distribution, flight periods, behaviour, habitat, status and conservation. Other sections cover biology; how to watch, photograph, record and monitor Dragonflies; conservation status and legislation; and introduced exotic species. This redesigned, updated and expanded edition features: * Beautiful colour plates showing males, females, immatures and all colour forms for every species * Over 450 stunning photographs and 550 illustrations * Up-to-date species profiles and distribution maps * Detailed, easy-to-use identification charts for adults and larvae

Table of Contents:
Foreword 7 Introduction 8 Dragonfly Biology 10 Egg 11 Larva 13 Emergence 14 Adult 16 Dispersal and migration 19 Where to look for Dragonflies 21 Dragonfly habitats 21 Favoured breeding habitats 30 Where to look for rare, scarce and localised Dragonflies 32 Watching and photographing Dragonflies 34 How to identify Dragonflies 36 An introduction to identification 36 Key features of adult damselflies and dragonflies 37 Colour variations 38 The types of dragonfly 39 Adult identification charts 44 Identifying male emerald dragonflies, hawkers and emperors in flight 56 Glossary 58 THE SPECIES ACCOUNTS (See the following pages for full list) 59 Introduced exotic species 188 Identification of larvae and exuviae 190 An introduction to identification 190 Identification tips 190 How to use the guide 191 The biology of eggs and larvae 192 Key features of larvae and exuviae 194 The types of Dragonfly larvae 196 Larval identification charts 202 Conservation status and legislation 212 British Dragonfly Society 216 Dragonfly recording and monitoring 216 Further reading 218 Acknowledgements and photographic credits 219 Index of English and scientific names 222 THE SPECIES ACCOUNTS Breeding species 60 DAMSELFLIES (ZYGOPTERA) Beautiful Demoiselle Calopteryx virgo 60 Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens 62 Emerald Damselfly Lestes sponsa 64 Scarce Emerald Damselfly Lestes dryas 66 Southern Emerald Damselfly Lestes barbarus 68 Willow Emerald Damselfly Chalcolestes viridis 70 Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula 72 Small Red Damselfly Ceriagrion tenellum 74 White-legged Damselfly Platycnemis pennipes 76 Southern Damselfly Coenagrion mercuriale 78 Northern Damselfly Coenagrion hastulatum 80 Irish Damselfly Coenagrion lunulatum 82 Dainty Damselfly Coenagrion scitulum 84 Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella 86 Variable Damselfly Coenagrion pulchellum 88 Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum 90 Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans 92 Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura pumilio 94 Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma najas 96 Small Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma viridulum 98 DRAGONFLIES (ANISOPTERA) Hairy Dragonfly Brachytron pratense 100 Azure Hawker Aeshna caerulea 102 Common Hawker Aeshna juncea 104 Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta 106 Southern Migrant Hawker Aeshna affinis 108 Southern Hawker Aeshna cyanea 110 Brown Hawker Aeshna grandis 112 Norfolk Hawker Aeshna isosceles 114 Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator 116 Lesser Emperor Anax parthenope 118 Golden-ringed Dragonfly Cordulegaster boltonii 120 Common Club-tail Gomphus vulgatissimus 122 Downy Emerald Cordulia aenea 124 Brilliant Emerald Somatochlora metallica 126 Northern Emerald Somatochlora arctica 128 Four-spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata 130 Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa 132 Scarce Chaser Libellula fulva 134 Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum 136 Keeled Skimmer Orthetrum coerulescens 138 White-faced Darter Leucorrhinia dubia 140 Black Darter Sympetrum danae 142 Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum 144 Ruddy Darter Sympetrum sanguineum 146 Red-veined Darter Sympetrum fonscolombii 148 Yellow-winged Darter Sympetrum flaveolum 150 FORMER BREEDERS, VAGRANTS AND POTENTIAL VAGRANTS 152 DAMSELFLIES (ZYGOPTERA) Small Spreadwing Lestes virens 154 Common Winter Damselfly Sympecma fusca 156 Norfolk Damselfly Coenagrion armatum 158 Blue-eye Erythromma lindenii 160 DRAGONFLIES (ANISOPTERA) Vagrant Emperor Anax ephippiger 162 Common Green Darner Anax junius 164 River Clubtail Gomphus flavipes 166 Western Clubtail Gomphus pulchellus 168 Orange-spotted Emerald Oxygastra curtisii 170 Southern Skimmer Orthetrum brunneum 172 Yellow-spotted Whiteface Leucorrhinia pectoralis 174 Ruby Whiteface Leucorrhinia rubicunda 176 Banded Darter Sympetrum pedemontanum 178 Vagrant Darter Sympetrum vulgatum 180 Southern Darter Sympetrum meridionale 182 Scarlet Darter Crocothemis erythraea 184 Wandering Glider Pantala flavescens 186