Many damselflies and dragonflies are flitting around waterways and the large red damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) is a common species, shown hear in tandem. The female also is carrying what look like a cluster of parasites attached to her body.
This large golden ringed Dragonfly was possibly eaten by a raft spider, and as it was too big for the spider to eat it all, lay rotting in the bush, hence attracting a burying beetle(Nicrophorus vespilloides). The beetles attract a partner and then go about burying the carcass usually of a small mammal , bird, or reptile, then lay eggs and look after their young by regurgitating the rotten flesh to them, but here I do not think that will happen and the beetle will fly away to find something more appropriate. A Face fly (Musca autumnalis) is also taking in nutrients from the abdomen.There are many members of the house fly group and this species is more prevalent in late summer as its name suggests.It is also the most likely fly species to try to suck fluids from ones face.
The blue tailed damselfly (Ishnura elegans)is also common and like the previous species, it breeds in still and sluggish flowing muddy waters.
The Beautiful Banded demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens), flits about its territory, along small streams.
A gatekeeper butterfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) was basking under a very large spiders web. I wondered as to how it managed to get underneath without getting ensnared. The web was long and encompassed a piece of ditch about a meter in length. The butterfly then flew along under the web without touching it and out, it then went back in again and flew along the whole length of web and back after settling on the plant. It was clear to me that the insect could quite clearly see the web and it posed no problem entering the ditch, but purposefully avoided it as if it was a common thing to do.
