Dragonfly wings

The first evidence of a dragonlfy in my garden this year has come in the
form of wings that had been torn from an individual, probably by a bird.

I have put a photograph of two almost complete wings in today's entry in my
pond diary. Each one has a whitish patch on the leading edge near the
wingtip. Would anyone like to suggest a species, based on this and the wing
venation? The dragonfly I usually see here is the Southern Hawker and my
photographic guide shows a female having similar wing patch colour, but the
venation on the forewing looks wrong.

Using the key in my insect guide (Chinery), I can only get past the first
step which is dependent on a small triangle in the venation near the wing
base. As this is similar in both fore and hind wings, the dragonfly must
belong to either the Aeshnidae, the Gomphidae, or the Cordulegasteridae.
Unfortunately the key then requires me to look at the eyes! Can you get
closer without them?

--
David Jones
Garden Wildlife Diaries at
www.mybitoftheplanet.com

Just a note to add that I've now found the cast-off skin of what I think is
a Southern Hawker near where I found the wings, so it looks as though it was
a newly emerged dragonfly that was preyed upon - as you say, a teneral
individual.

There are some images of the cast in today's diary entry.

--
David Jones
Garden Wildlife Diaries at
www.mybitoftheplanet.com

	#1
David Jones	Dragonfly wings - an ID challenge The first evidence of a dragonlfy in my garden this year has come in the form of wings that had been torn from an individual, probably by a bird. I have put a photograph of two almost complete wings in today's entry in my pond diary. Each one has a whitish patch on the leading edge near the wingtip. Would anyone like to suggest a species, based on this and the wing venation? The dragonfly I usually see here is the Southern Hawker and my photographic guide shows a female having similar wing patch colour, but the venation on the forewing looks wrong. Using the key in my insect guide (Chinery), I can only get past the first step which is dependent on a small triangle in the venation near the wing base. As this is similar in both fore and hind wings, the dragonfly must belong to either the Aeshnidae, the Gomphidae, or the Cordulegasteridae. Unfortunately the key then requires me to look at the eyes! Can you get closer without them? -- David Jones Garden Wildlife Diaries at www.mybitoftheplanet.com

	#2
David Jones	Re: Dragonfly wings - an ID challenge Just a note to add that I've now found the cast-off skin of what I think is a Southern Hawker near where I found the wings, so it looks as though it was a newly emerged dragonfly that was preyed upon - as you say, a teneral individual. There are some images of the cast in today's diary entry. -- David Jones Garden Wildlife Diaries at www.mybitoftheplanet.com