Jul 272008
After the Higham Bight clean up some of us stayed at Northward Hill RSPB reserve for a while. Julie and Chris visited one of the ditches and found the scarce emerald damselfly. This is THE special damselfly of the north Kent marshes. It is very similar to the common emerald but can be distinguished by looking at the male genitalia. (Sorry I know this is a family site). Julie’s photograph shows this really well. The inner “bits” (appendages) on the last abdominal segment are curved inwards and clubbed – rather like two hockey sticks. On the common emerald they are straight and thin. Well now you know!