Since the early noughties colonies of this large damselfly have been found mainly in coastal areas but anywhere from Norfolk along to the Isle of Wight. Isolated individuals have also been found but I am particularly concentrating here on an established breeding colony in the Isle of Wight that I visited recently with the man who discovered it, Peter Hunt.

I am not disclosing the locality, the reason I am showing these pictures above (Left April right June) is that I bet like me you know many ponds that look like these; dominated by rushes, no fish, and drying up by mid June.

Peter has recorded tenerals emerging from the near dry pond in early June and adults copulating in August right through to October. The light green plants (June pic) are Horsetails (Equisetum sp.) and die back before the adults oviposit from August.

Peter found the colony quite by chance some years back. How many other colonies are there like this that remain to be discovered? Some of Peter's excellent pictures below taken at the site