Large Red Damselfly

A large red damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula).  The thick black bands with thin white bands indicate that this is a female. In the males the black bands are much less noticable and the white bands are absent.

There is a good species checklist of UK dragonflies and damselflies, with many photos and lots of other useful information, here at the British Dragonfly Society website.

Photo taken beside the large lake, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2009-05-10.