Above. One of the Willow Emerald Damselflies which were first seen at Strumpshaw Fen in 2010 and now a regular at the site, and spread to other other sites in the Yare valley.

The Swallowtail is a Broadlands specialist and can easily be seen in the Yare valley at Strumpshaw Fen and Wheatfen. 

DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFLIES we have seen in the Yare Valley.

  1. Banded Demoiselle
  2. Large Red Damselfly
  3. Azure Damselfly
  4. Variable Damselfly
  5. Common Blue Damselfly
  6. Blue-tailed Damselfly
  7. Red-eyed Damselfly
  8. Small Red-eyed Damselfly
  9. Common Emerald
  10. Southern Emerald
  11. Willow Emerald Damselfly.
  12. Hairy Dragonfly
  13. Migrant Hawker
  14. Southern Hawker
  15. Brown Hawker
  16. Norfolk Hawker 
  17.  Migrant Hawker.
  18. Emperor Dragonfly
  19. Lesser Emperor, first recorded at Whitlingham CP, 2017. 
  20. Vagrant Emperor, Wheatfen 2023
  21. Four-spotted Chaser
  22. Scarce Chaser 
  23. Broad-bodied Chaser
  24. Black-tailed Skimmer
  25. Common Darter
  26. Ruddy Darter
  27. Black Darter 2 at Gt Yarmouth 1995
  28. Red-veined Darter, Earlham 2017,
  29. Yellow-winged Darter Major influx at Gt Yarmouth 1995
  30. Vagrant Darter  At least 5 at Gt Yarmouth 1995

BUTTERFLIES we have seen in the Yare Valley.

  1. Swallowtail, Stronghold at Strumpshaw Fen, occasional elsewhere.
  2. Large White
  3. Small White
  4. Green-veined White
  5. Marbled White, Caister St Edmund 2025
  6. Orange Tip
  7. Clouded Yellow, Regular migrant in varying numbers.
  8. Brimstone
  9. Purple Hairstreak
  10. White-letter Hairstreak, 1 at Burgh Castle, July 2015. Now regular at Strumpshaw Fen.
  11. Small Copper
  12. Holly Blue
  13. Brown Argus
  14. Common Blue
  15. Long-tailed Blue, Rare migrant/release, 1 at Freethorpe July 2022.
  16. Peacock
  17. Camberwell Beauty, Rare migrant. Records from Hopton and Gt Yarmouth cemetery. 1 at Little Melton 2022.
  18. Red Admiral 
  19. White Admiral
  20. Painted Lady
  21. Purple Emperor, recorded at Haddiscoe in 2022.1 deceased in Norwich 2022, Brundall/Surlingham in 2025, Strumpshaw Fen 2025.
  22. Comma
  23. Small Tortoiseshell
  24. Grayling
  25. Meadow Brown
  26. Gatekeeper
  27. Ringlet
  28. Small Heath
  29. Speckled Wood
  30. Wall
  31. Small Skipper
  32. Large Skipper
  33. Essex Skipper
  34. Scarce Tortoiseshell. Very rare migrant. 2 in our area in 2014.
  35. Large Toryoiseshell. Very rare migrant, 2 records in 2020.
  36. Silver-washed Fritillary, Recorded at Strumpshaw in 2014 onwards.

HOVERFLIES we have seen in the Yare Valley.

  1. Episyrphus balteatus
  2. Gonia divisa
  3. Helophilus pendulus
  4. Helophilus trivittatus
  5. Leucozona glaucia
  6. Leucozona lucorum
  7. Melanostoma scalare
  8. Rhingia campestris
  9. Scaeva pyrastri
  10. Syrphus ribesh 
  11. Volucella zonaria.

Below and below right,. July 2014 saw a large influx of Scarce Tortoiseshell into Holland and a few ventured into Norfolk and SE England. At least 2 in the Yare Valley were located. The one below near Norwich (photographed by Ben Lewis) and one at Burgh Castle (below right(2), photographed & copyrighted by Perry Fairmam Ecological Experiences)

Not an Insect, but several Compass Jellyfish were seen from Breydon Water bridge in mid June 2017. Photo by Tommy Corcoran.
This Purple Emperor was at Strumpshaw Fen in late June 2025, Found and photographed by Ron McIntyre.

Ant-lion, Euroleon nostras, caught in a moth trap bt Ian Mills on Gt Yarmouth north denes in July 2010. What we believe to be the first adult recorded in Norfolk. Photo courtesy of Ian Mills.

Below: This Large Tortoiseshell spent 3 days at Strumpshaw Fen in July 2020. An extremely rare visitor though it was the second record in our area in that year. Photo by Steve Smith.
 

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