During a riverside work session clearing vegetation, we suddenly noticed a lot of black and yellow dragonflies, resting on the waterside vegetation (right).  We soon managed to find them just emerging from their larval stage (below).

These dragonflies are Common Clubtail Gomphus vulgatissimus (Fr. le Gomphus tres commun) (Thanks to Susan Walter for the ID).

Dragonflies don’t have a pupal stage.  They emerge directly from the larvae, which can spend several years in the stream bed, hunting for prey.  They eventually emerge on to riverside vegetation where they transform in to the adult.  Th females are black and yellow.  The males are black and green, with localised yellow markings

 

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