Sympetrum striolatum - Common Red Darter dragonfly

One of Britain's most abundant of the dragonflies, this male has a female partner whose body is rather more orange than red.

The nymphs live in dense weed and are of limited interest to trout, and therefore to anglers: despite their occasional lunges trout rarely succeed in catching them. But they are just so wonderful to watch as they perform their aerobatic displays while hunting smaller insects.

There are about forty species of dragonflies and damselflies in the British Isles, although some are now quite rare and hardly ever seen.

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