Large Red Damselfly

Name: Large Red Damselfly

Scientific name: Pyrrhosoma nymphula

Category: Minibeasts

Nature Stars: 30

What are nature stars?

About: A medium-sized damselfly, about 6.5cm long. Bright red with a black thorax and black bands towards the end of the body. Lives around the edge of ponds and lakes, ditches and canals, and can also be found away from breeding sites in grassland and woodland. The earliest damselfly, on the wing from the end of April through to August.

How to identify: The Small Red Damselfly is a much rarer animal, only found on heathlands in the south of England and western Wales. It is smaller, more delicate and has less red than its larger relative.

Where: Widespread.

Natural Superpowers

• Predator: 60
• Agility: 70
• Rarity: 30
• Cute factor: 30
• Traveller: 40

Fantastic fact: Most adults emerge from the pond at the same time, over a short period of just three weeks in the spring.

Photograph credit: David Chamberlain