Large red damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) Family Coenagrionidae

On 16 April I saw the first damselflies. It was the Large red damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) This species is very early. We every year see more of this species in our garden.  
It is a female because of the yellow bands around the abdominal segments. The Large red damselfly on the fallen chestnut flower is a male. The Large Red is common and widespread throughout Europe. Flying time: April - July 

Mating takes place in marginal vegetation and the pair lays their eggs in tandem on submerged vegetation The eggs are being deposited on submerged vegetation one by one The females use the ovipositor to make slits in plant tissue and insert one to several eggs into each slit.
The nymphs stay 2  to 3 years in the pond.  

German: Frühe Adonislibelle, Frühe Adonisjungfer  French: Petite nymphe au corps de feu

Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella) Family Coenagrionidae

The first, I saw in 2007 was on 30 April.
This damselfly is also common and widespread throughout Europe. It is remarkable for its distinctive black and blue colouring.
The eggs are also being deposited on the water plants.

The nymphs stay a year in the pond.

Flying time: May - August  

German: Hufeisen-Azurjungfer  French: Agrion jouvencelle

Segment eight is entirely pale blue. are very variable in colouration.
They tolerate also unclear water. The pair separate before the female goes off to lay her eggs in surface vegetation. The female lives only 11 days.
The nymphs stay one year in the pond. Sometimes they emerge as adults after three months. Than there is a second generation in one year.
Flying time: May - September 
Common and widespread throughout Europe. Not in Spain.

  Young adult Blue-tailed damselfly form rufescens

German: Große Pechlibelle  French: Agrion élégant

Willow Emerald Damselfly (Lestes viridis or Chalcolestes viridis) Family spreadwings (Lestidae)

It is a common widespread damselfly. Male and female are mainly metallic green and lager than the other damselflies. The eyes are brown.
The willow emerald damselflies lay their eggs into incisions in the bark of overhanging branches. The eggs hibernate and hatch next spring. The larva has no legs when it falls in the water. Then it changes in a real nymph. After three months appears the new damselfly.
In rest they hold their wings half open. Most damselflies rest with their wings folded together .
In our garden it often sits in the bays shrubs. There are not many willow emerald damselflies in the garden. Perhaps because there are no overhanging trees or shrubs near the pond.  

German: Weidenjungfer  French: Leste vert

This is also a damselfly. In September 2008 for the first time in the garden.
The Winter Damsel is the only damselfly, which overwinters as an adult. That's why it flies early in spring.
Length: 3cm. Light brown with dark brown to bronze coloured spots on the top.
In rest  they hold their wings not half open like other damselflies, but they fold them together along one side of their abdomen
Two flying times: April - May and August - September.
The only other Winter Damsel in the Netherlands is the rare Siberian Winter damselfly (Sympecma paedisca).

Biotope: Shallow, nutrient-poor ponds in wooded area with sandy soil.

German: Gemeine Winterlibelle  French: Brunette hivernale

Dragonflies are stronger than damselflies. The large eyes touch each other above the head. All of them have two pairs of membranous wings. Their wings are more or less similar. The hind wings are a little  broader than the fore wings. The wings are held horizontally at rest. Most dragonflies are good aviators, better  than the damselflies. Like the damselflies they cannot walk.  
There are several families.

Family Gomphidae. Family Cordulegastridae. Family Aeshnidae with species like Emperor Dragonfly and Southern Hawker, Blue Hawker. Family Corduliidae. Family Libellulidae with species like the Black-tailed Skimmer and the Common Darter.

The left photo has been taken mid- June at 8 o'clock  at night. We had almost overlooked him, because a minute later it flew away. Some days later my woman has taken photos of an other metamorphose. When I came home, it was almost finished.

Nymph  28-7-'11 German: Blaugrüne Mosaikjungfer  French: Æschne bleue

It often hunts for flies on animals such as horses. It seems therefore that it bites these animals. Hence the Dutch name "Paardenbijter" "Horse biter".
It is smaller than the other Hawkers.
The eggs are deposited in living and dead plants
Europe, North Africa, Asia

Length 56 -64 mm.
July - November

Photo 31-7-2010 male     German: Herbst-Mosaikjungfer  French: L'æschne mixte

The males are mainly black with blue. The female black with yellow. On the side of the thorax are green or yellow bands.
The abdomen and thorax are downy hairs. Hence its name. Segment three is not constricted. Segment one has in the middle a round spot.

April - Late June. The larvae overwinter two to three times.
Length 5,5 - 6,3 cm. Wingspan 7 - 8 mm.

  Photo 3-5-2011  German: Frühe Schilfjäger 

Norfolk Hawker (Aeshna isosceles) Family Hawkers, darners (Aeshnidae)

The photo has been made 3 June 2007. Females lay their eggs alone favouring the leaves and flowers stalks of Water soldier (also on this photo) The larvae probably take 2 years to develop.  It requires clean water.

They are found in peat bog area, but also in the dunes. (in our neighbourhood)
It has a yellow triangular mark on the second abdominal segment and it has green eyes. The male and female are similar.
Flying time: May to August. It is not a very common species.  

German: Keilfleck-Mosaikjungfer, Keilflecklibelle  

German: Große Blaupfeil  French: Orthétrum réticulé, Orthetrum bleuissant

Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) Family Libellulidae 
Also a common species in Europe.

They will often repeatedly return to a sunny spot as you can see on the photos on this site. They can stay for a long time, overlooking their territory. They like to bask in the sun. It is not difficult to take photos. When it rests, it will position its wings forwards and downwards
Flying time June to October

The eggs are sometimes laid in a tandem. The male is often only watching.

German: Große Heidelibelle  French: Sympétrum strié

Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum)  Family Libellulidae

When they are young, both sexes are pale yellow. The males then darken and turn a dark burnt orange colour. The females darken with old age.  

The difference between the Common Darter and the Vagrant Darter is, that  the dark stripe on the forehead of the Common Darter is not running down past the eyes.

So far (2009) I only saw Common Darters in the garden. This time I have photographed an Vagrant Darter. If I had known before, I had made more photos. Especially the photo of the side isn't pretty. But is was important to identify.

You can find the differences on the site:. http://www.at-a-lanta.nl/weia/LibellenStriVulg.html
It's a Dutch site. But the photos explain much, I think.

Anne Hueber and Weia Reinboud thanks for your advice.

German: Gemeine Heidelibelle  French: Sympétrum commun

The lens of my camera is in repair. Now I shoot with my old camera. Which does not like the low sun. Hence the glare. But this is the first time I see the four-spotted chaser in the garden. 
It has a distinct black spot in the top center of the wing. At the rear wing you'll see a dark spot. Above this spot a brownish orange spot. (also on the upperwings) It has an orange body with a black tip. The yellow spots on the side are unfortunately not to see because of the glare.
Larvae overwinter one to three times. The metamorphosis is from end April to mid July.

End April - begin September.
Length 40 - 48 mm. Europe, North-America.
Photo 2-5-2011

German: Vierfleck  French: libellule à quatre taches

Photo 23-5-2011   A younger Broad-bodied chaser female. Photo 8-6-2011

German: Plattbauch  French: libellule déprimée