[Reprinted from the 'Entomologist' for December, 1906.]
THE DRAGONFLIES OF EPPING FOREST IN 1906.
By F. W. & H. Campion.
The dragonfly season of 1906 proved to be the most interest-
ing one within our recollection. Not only did we re-take most
of the species occurring in our district in previous years, but we
were able to add to our local collection, which now consists of
twenty species, five species not hitherto represented there—
Brachytron pratense, Cordulia aenea, Sympetrum scoticum, and,
most important of all, S. vulgatum and 8. flaveolum. The genus
Sympetrum was especially well in evidence, no fewer than five
out of the six British species having fallen to our nets. The
exceptionally fine weather which characterized the summer
extended far into the autumn, and we enjoyed the unusual
experience of taking dragonflies so late in the year as October
21st.
Representatives of seventeen species were obtained, viz.:—
(1) Pyrrhosoma nymphula.—The taking of immature females
of this dragonfly—always our earliest—opened the season on
May 13th. It became tolerably common throughout the district,
and was last met with on July 22nd.
(2) Brachytron pratense. — On May 27th we saw at a pond
occupying the site of an old forest gravel-pit what appeared to be
a newly-emerged dragonfly resting on a rush far beyond our
reach. We threw twigs at it, but, instead of causing it to rise,
we only succeeded in covering it up. On the evening of the
following day we found the insect occupying much the same
position, and, by lashing together two or three sticks, we were
able to reach and secure the specimen with the net. It proved
to be a female of B. pratense, a species new to our collection. It
was in good condition save for the undeveloped state of the wings
on the right side, a blemish which remained in spite of our
keeping the insect alive a day or two longer at home. The
circumstances point to the specimen having been bred in the
pond where it was found. The species was not met with again
during the season.
(3) Agrion puella was first found on June 3rd, when some indi-
viduals were in a mature state. On June 24th two males bearing