6 Types of Dragonflies in the UK and How to Tell Them Apart

Britain is home to 36 different dragonflies, and most gardeners walk past several of them every summer without knowing which species they’ve just seen. The Canal & River Trust notes that

Learning to recognise the main types of dragonflies in the UK is easier than it sounds once you know what to look for on the wing. These insects belong to the order Odonata, a name that comes from the Greek word for “tooth” and covers both dragonflies and their slimmer damselfly cousins, as the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust explains. This piece looks at six standout species you’re likely to encounter near rivers, ponds, and heathland across Britain, along with the details that separate each one from its lookalikes.

Species	Typical Size	Flight Season	Typical Habitat
Common Clubtail	Medium, club-shaped abdomen	Peaks in late May	Slow-flowing rivers such as the Severn
Keeled Skimmer	40–44mm	June to September	Heathland streams and shallow pools
Emperor Dragonfly	Up to 78mm	Summer months	Ponds and slow rivers, mainly southern Britain
Common Darter	Up to 43mm	May to November	Ponds, canals and lakes nationwide
Broad-bodied Chaser	3.9–4.8cm	April to September	New garden ponds, still water
Southern Hawker	Up to 70mm	Summer into autumn	Garden ponds, woodland rides

Pro Tip: The fastest way to separate a dragonfly from a damselfly is wing position at rest. Dragonflies hold their wings open and out from the body, while damselflies fold theirs in alongside it.

Common Clubtail

The common clubtail (Gomphus vulgatissimus) is one of the easiest UK dragonflies to identify once you know its one unmistakable feature. Shropshire Dragonflies notes that

This species is tied closely to a handful of rivers. The Canal & River Trust reports that common clubtail dragonflies are common in the south of England and Wales but are limited to a few rivers, including the River Severn. Mass emergence happens over a short window each year, which makes timing your visit worthwhile if you want a good sighting.

1. Eyes are separated rather than touching, unlike most other UK dragonflies.
2. The abdomen is club-shaped, mostly black, with a broken yellow line running along the top.
3. Best observed during the period of mass emergence in late May, according to Shropshire Dragonflies.
4. Good viewing spots include stretches of the River Severn at Atcham, Hampton Loade, and Severn Valley Country Park.

Population declines along the Severn led to the species being given a “near threatened” status on the Odonata Red Data List in 2008, a reminder that even a widespread river specialist can come under pressure from changes in water quality. Anyone hoping to see one should check the British Dragonfly Society’s identification guide before heading out, since the larvae and newly emerged adults look quite different from the mature form.

Keeled Skimmer

The keeled skimmer (Orthetrum coerulescens) gets its name from the fine ridge running down its abdomen. According to the British Dragonfly Society,

This is a heathland specialist rather than a species you’ll spot on any local pond. The Canal & River Trust notes that keeled skimmers are present across the UK, commonly found in the southwest around heathland, streams and shallow water. Its global range stretches across central and southern Europe, and Wikipedia records that it is locally common in western Britain and Ireland.

1. Body length runs 40 to 44 millimetres, according to data compiled on Wikipedia.
2. Males are pale blue with blue-grey eyes; females are ochre-brown with a thin dark line down the abdomen.
3. On the wing mainly from June to September, based on records from The Wildlife Trusts.
4. Often confused with the black-tailed skimmer, but the keeled skimmer is notably slimmer with a visible dorsal keel.

Key Insight: Keeled skimmers perch low in vegetation with wings held forward rather than out flat, a habit that helps separate them from most other skimmers and chasers at a glance.

Emperor Dragonfly

The emperor dragonfly (Anax imperator) is the one most people picture when they imagine a dragonfly, largely because of its sheer size. Countryfile describes it as Britain’s largest species of dragonfly, measuring up to 78mm, and is a brightly coloured with an apple-green thorax and a continuous blue stripe along tail if male or green stripe if female.

Its flight style is as distinctive as its colouring. The same source notes it is very active, it flies with its tail slightly held down and rarely settles except in cool weather, and it’s found across England and Wales, with scattered records in Scotland. The NHBS identification guide also flags the emperor as one of the species most freshwater pond-watchers hope to see, since it hunts on the wing and rarely perches for long.

1. Green-blue eyes and an apple-green thorax on both sexes.
2. Males show a continuous blue stripe along the body; females show green instead.
3. Patrols open water rather than perching, making photography tricky.
4. Concentrated in southern and central England, thinning out further north.

Common Darter

The common darter (Sympetrum striolatum) is the species most people in the UK have already seen, whether they realised it or not. As the name suggests, common darter dragonflies are widespread throughout the UK, according to the Canal & River Trust, which also notes it is one of the most common species in Europe.

Sex differences are easy to spot once you know the pattern. Countryfile describes it as medium size (to 43mm), with a narrow body that is red in males, brightening for days after emerging, and brown or straw-yellow in females, and adds that it sometimes perches with its tail held up in the air.

1. Males are orange-red; females are yellow, both with a brown thorax.
2. Flies from May through September, with stragglers occasionally seen into November.
3. Often the last dragonfly species still active in late autumn.
4. Found in nearly every water body in Britain except the highest ground in the Scottish Highlands.

Because it tolerates such a wide range of conditions, the common darter is frequently the first dragonfly to appear on a newly dug garden pond, making it a good starter species for anyone learning to identify the different types of dragonflies in the UK.

Broad-bodied Chaser

The broad-bodied chaser (Libellula depressa) stands out immediately thanks to its shape. The Canal & River Trust describes the broad-bodied chaser dragonfly as distinguished by its wide and flat abdomen, which is blue in males and yellow-brown in females, with dark markings visible at the wing bases.

This species is famously quick to colonise new water. Freshwater Habitats Trust notes that the first dragonflies to arrive at a new garden pond, at least in southern Britain, are often species like the common darter or the broad-bodied chaser that favour bare sediment banks. It typically grows to between 3.9 and 4.8cm, according to Puddle Plants, with males showing a pastel-blue body and yellow spots along the edges, and females appearing greenish-brown.

1. Broad, flattened abdomen sets it apart from every other species on this list.
2. On the wing from April to September.
3. Dark patches at the base of each wing help confirm identification.
4. One of the fastest species to appear on a brand-new pond.

Common Mistake: The broad-bodied chaser’s blue males are sometimes mistaken for keeled skimmers or black-tailed skimmers, but its distinctly flattened, wide abdomen is the giveaway that the others lack.

Southern Hawker

The southern hawker (Aeshna cyanea) is one of the friendliest dragonflies you’ll meet, in the sense that it often flies straight up to investigate people rather than away from them. Countryfile describes it as large, growing to a length of up to 70mm, with broad green bars on its sides and thorax, and a distinctive pale golf-tee mark on its first tail segment.

Males and females carry different colour schemes. The same source notes the male is dark with apple-green or blue dots down its body, while the female is browner with green marks, and adds that the species is common throughout lowland Britain. Its curious streak toward humans is well documented elsewhere too, with several field guides noting its habit of investigating people closely at close range near garden ponds.

1. Pale “golf-tee” marking on the first abdominal segment is diagnostic.
2. One of the larger hawkers, alongside species like the brown hawker.
3. Frequently seen patrolling garden ponds and woodland edges into early evening.
4. Common across lowland Britain, becoming scarcer further north.

Because it hunts right up until dusk and often hovers at head height, the southern hawker is one of the easier types of dragonflies in the UK to observe up close without disturbing it.

Getting comfortable with these six species is a solid foundation for anyone starting out with dragonfly watching, but Britain’s full Odonata list runs to 57 species once damselflies are counted, according to the British Naturalists’ Association. A field guide, a still afternoon by the water, and a bit of patience are usually all it takes to start telling one species from the next. For a deeper reference once these six feel familiar, the Field Studies Council’s WildID guide covers every resident dragonfly and damselfly species found in Britain and Ireland.