The Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula is a European damselfly

Damselfly

Damselflies are insects in the order Odonata. Damselflies are similar to dragonflies, but the adults can be distinguished by the fact that the wings of most damselflies are held along, and parallel to, the body when at rest...

. It is one of the first damselflies to emerge in the year.

Identification

Females occur in many colour forms, but all have yellow bands around the abdominal segments.
They can easily be confused with Small red damselflies

Small Red Damselfly

The Small Red Damselfly, Ceriagrion tenellum, is a small damselfly flying in heathland bogs and streams. It is in the family Coenagrionidae.-Identification:...

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Behaviour

One of the most common damselflies, the Large Red Damselfly is often the first damselfly to emerge, usually in April or May. They inhabit a variety of waters, and on a summer day the dash of red perfectly complements the blue of Azure

Azure Damselfly

The Azure Damselfly is a species of damselfly found in most of Europe. It is notable for its distinctive black and blue colouring.-Males:...

 and Common Blue Damselflies

Common Blue Damselfly

The Common Blue Damselfly or Northern Bluet is a European damselfly.The species can reach a length of 32 to 35 mm...

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