[Penninehillbilly]

Hi
Just wondered if anyone can ID this 'fly'
I thught it was a dragonfly but dragonflies seem to have thinner bodies.
It was in the polytunnel, too high for me to catch, when I went down at dusk unfortunately it was caught in a web, perhaps weakened by being trapped in the poly for the day. 

[Sylvia]

It certainly looks like a dragonfly, there are so many varieties. You may find him on Google.

[Penninehillbilly]

Thanks - the pictures I have all have very thin bodies, I though there would be too many to be able to pick out this one, but it appears to be a male
'Broad-bodied Chaser (a dragonfly) Libellula depressa'.
I like to know these things 
 

[Fleecewife]

That's the chap     My book (Collins Complete British Wildlife)  says 'common only in south of England' so if you are in the Pennines he's less usual there.   Were you able to rescue him from the cobweb?

[jaykay]

Some dragonflies do have quite thick bodies - my Dad called them 'darters', don't know if anyone else does 

Are the very thin ones damselflies?

[Penninehillbilly]

That's the chap     My book (Collins Complete British Wildlife)  says 'common only in south of England' so if you are in the Pennines he's less usual there.   Were you able to rescue him from the cobweb?

Sadly too late 

[Fleecewife]

That's the chap     My book (Collins Complete British Wildlife)  says 'common only in south of England' so if you are in the Pennines he's less usual there.   Were you able to rescue him from the cobweb?

Sadly too late 

   rip Chaser

[Bramblecot]

 but it appears to be a male
'Broad-bodied Chaser (a dragonfly) Libellula depressa'.
I like to know these things 


The colour is a stunning pale blue.  One year (in Essex) we had one with a torn wing and I watched him for weeks all over the summer. He always came back to the same area of the pond, and had favourite perching spots.  I think they must have territories as I have only ever seen one or two at a time.  The females are a completely different colour - dark green.