Hairy Dragonfly

Key Sites: Any of the Nene Valley Gravel Pits, from Earls Barton to Barnwell Country park, especially Ditchford Lakes & Meadows. It has recently been recorded in sites outside the Valley, such as Cransley Reservoir and Twywell Hills & Dales.

The two records in the west of the county refer to 1923 and 1951, and highlight how the habitat has changed in the last 80 years. The populations along the Nene valley are thought to have dispersed from Castor Hanglands and the Cambridgeshire gravel pits. It was first recorded in Northamptonshire in 1993, and at Summer Leys in 1998.

Spotting: The Hairy Dragonfly is

A small hawker dragonfly, and the first large dragonfly on the wing. Any large dragonfly seen between the beginning and end of May is likely to be this species. The next hawker to emerge, the Emperor, is significantly larger, and there is only a few weeks overlap where both species are at territory at the same time.

Male Hairy Dragonfly are characterised by a dark abdomen with paired per-shaped blue spots. Females have similar paired yellow spots. Both sexes have a very hairy thorax. The antehumeral stripes in the male are long, reaching almost to the wing muscles and in the female are shorter.

The flight season is very short, and is often over by late June, although adults have been recorded up to 14 July.

County Status: A Local Priority Species. Expanding, but always under threat!. This is a rare species with very specific habitat requirements and is susceptible to disturbance. Dead floating and submerged vegetation should not be removed, as these are required by the larval stage.