Willow emerald damselfly was first recorded in the UK as recently as 2009 but
like many other species of odonata it has rapidly spread north. Even so,
iRecord shows no previous records of willow emerald in Greater Manchester so
it was nice to find at least three individuals at Bickershaw today including
this pair egg laying. Unlike most species of odonata which lay their eggs in water, willow emerald lays it's
eggs in the bark of trees, mainly alder and willow. A potential first for
Greater Manchester, this is another remarkable record for Bickershaw in
2025, following 12 Norfolk hawkers and 8 keeled skimmers earlier in the
summer.
Identification features visible in this photo include pale pterostigma (the
rectangular shapes near the tip of the wings) and an obvious spur in the pale
lower part of the thorax. The damselfly also has a relatively long abdomen
compared to other damselflies, and pale appendages at the end of the dark tipped abdomen.
I've only once previously seen this species in the UK, in Suffolk in 2016.
The markings on the side of the thorax are diagnostic.
Black darters are smart dragonflies, but prior to today I had only seen one at
the site.
Migrant hawkers mating.
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