Beautiful Demoiselle - Calopteryx virgo

Rare vagrant in Leicestershire and Rutland.

Although cited historically by various authorities as being ?common on the Southern boundary (of Leicestershire) and in Rutland? (Roebuck, 1932), ?locally common (in Leicestershire)? (Longfield, 1937) and present in Leicestershire in 1960 (Corbet et al, 1960), there have been no recent records of this species in VC 55. There are just four records on the Leicestershire and Rutland Dragonfly Group (LRDG) database, the most recent in 1973, though none of these have supporting information and cannot be verified. If is assumed that this species is no longer present in VC 55, although isolated colonies in the surrounding counties of Warwickshire, Staffordshire and Nottinghamshire indicate that its presence at an undiscovered location cannot be ruled out. The Beautiful Demoiselle favours fast flowing streams with clean stony or sandy beds.