Dragonfly IDs

baaba maal

Hi

I have what I'm sure is a four spotted chaser at the pond in my garden:
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But I saw this yesterday- it has the four spots, but the abdomen seems too yellow and it seems to be considerably smaller?:
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I looked a the excellent Dragonfly Ireland website, but I'm not sure- can anybody ID it for me?

thanks

baaba maal

Sorry, they're massive pics- not sure how to reduce them. I cropped them in photobucket and thought that would be enough.

Bonedigger

I think you're right about the Four Spotted Chaser in the first image and the one in the image below that is either a female or immature male Common Darter.The males are a beautiful reddish-orange in colour.

baaba maal

Ah perfect! You are bang on I'd say- thanks!

Bonedigger

This is a male Common Darter which I photographed in Pollardstown Fen only last week.The females and young males look less gaudy!

axe2grind

Bonedigger wrote: »

and the one in the image below that is either a female or immature male Common Darter.The males are a beautiful reddish-orange in colour.

Its a female, you can sex them by the end of the abdomen. Check out the difference with your male.

The yellow stripes on legs distinguishes from Ruddy Darter which has black legs.