Day 17 of the 2025 #dragonfly #AdventCalendar. Variable Damselfly looks very like the common Azure damsel but is much more sparsely distributed. In males, look for the broken blue lines on top of the thorax. Females need a bit of practice to distinguish from Azure. This one near RSPB Ham Wall, #Somerset, in July. #DragonflyAdventCalendar #invertebrates #ukwildlife #wildlife #insects #invertebrates #wildlifephotography #photography

Day 18 of the 2025 #dragonfly #AdventCalendar. Willow Emerald is the largest, slimmest and second most widespread of the UK's 4 Emerald Damselfly species. This is a Parisian one seen in August in the botanical gardens outside the natural history museum. #Paris #France #DragonflyAdventCalendar #invertebrates #ukwildlife #wildlife #insects #invertebrates #wildlifephotography #photography

Day 19 of the 2025 #dragonfly #AdventCalendar. Emperor Dragonfly is the big blue & green species that hovers over large ponds like a helicopter, bullying the other species out of the way. This is a female laying eggs, seen in August.
#DragonflyAdventCalendar #invertebrates #ukwildlife #wildlife #insects #invertebrates #wildlifephotography #photography

Since day 19 of the 2025 #dragonfly #AdventCalendar is Emperor Dragonfly, here's a bonus image - the wonderful wire sculpture of a male Emperor at WWT Llanelli for their dragonfly festival in the summer. #Wales #Cymru #DragonflyAdventCalendar #invertebrates #ukwildlife #wildlife #insects #invertebrates #photography

Day 20 of the 2025 #dragonfly #AdventCalendar. There has to be a picture of damselflies doing the heart-shaped mating wheel, and today's the day. Blue-tailed Damselfly is very common and relatively tolerant of poor water quality so you'll find them everywhere. The male is the blue one, the female is green (females come in a variety of colours). #DragonflyAdventCalendar #invertebrates #ukwildlife #wildlife #insects #invertebrates #photography

Day 21 of the 2025 #dragonfly #AdventCalendar. The male Black Darter is black when mature, but this one had only just emerged so had colours more like a female. Some damselfly species have black females but this is our only black dragonfly. At #Whixall Moss, #Wales, in late June. The site is a large bog which straddles the border of Wales with Shropshire. #Cymru #DragonflyAdventCalendar #invertebrates #ukwildlife #wildlife #insects #invertebrates #photography

Day 22 of the 2025 #dragonfly #AdventCalendar. Common Emerald is our only widespread green damselfly, although Willow Emerald (day 18) is gradually catching up. This species likes overgrown ponds - watch for males sat with their wings open like this one, waiting for either food or a mate. This one at #Whixall Moss, #Wales, in late June. #Cymru #DragonflyAdventCalendar #invertebrates #ukwildlife #wildlife #insects #invertebrates #photography

Extra bonus on day 22 of the 2025 #dragonfly #AdventCalendar. Realised I'd forgotten to include our most familiar species, Common Blue Damselfly. So you get a bonus image. Often seen in large numbers by lakes or slow rivers. This one was at #Whixall Moss, bogs not really being typical habitat but they do rather get everywhere. #Wales #Cymru #DragonflyAdventCalendar #invertebrates #ukwildlife #wildlife #insects #invertebrates #photography

Reminder that if you like the #DragonflyAdventCalendar you'll probably like their email newsletter at https://british-dragonflies.org.uk/get-involved/sign-up-for-e-news/
They're also quite active on Instagram, if that's your thing.

Day 23 of the 2025 #dragonfly #AdventCalendar. Ruddy Darter is one of two common red dragonflies in the UK. Males are a deeper red than Common Darters, have a distinct "waist" in the middle of the abdomen and have all-black legs with no stripes. This one was in #Essex in July. #DragonflyAdventCalendar #invertebrates #ukwildlife #wildlife #insects #invertebrates #photography

Day 24 of the 2025 #dragonfly #AdventCalendar. Common Darter is the commonest dragonfly of late summer and especially autumn. My last one this year was in November! This one from the botanical gardens at the natural history museum in #Paris in August. #DragonflyAdventCalendar #invertebrates #ukwildlife #wildlife #insects #invertebrates #photography

A bonus day 25 of the 2025 #dragonfly #AdventCalendar. After 24 of my own pictures I always end with this - E H Shepard's drawing of one of history's most famous dragonfly surveyors observing a Banded Demoiselle. Happy Christmas to those who celebrate, happy holidays to those who don't and happy dragonfly-watching in 2026 to one and all. #DragonflyAdventCalendar #invertebrates #ukwildlife #wildlife #insects #invertebrates