Monmouthshire rarity accounts
See below for finders’ accounts of the first records of dragonfly species to have been found in Monmouthshire, and other rarities.
A Yellow-winged Darter at Goldcliff in 1995, the first county record, John Martin
Red-veined Darters at Goldcliff in 2000, the first county record, Adam Rowlands
Red-veined Darters at Goldcliff in 2002, Kevin Dupé
A Lesser Emperor at Lamby Lake in 2006, the first county record, Andy Karran
A Vagrant Emperor in Newport in 2013, the first county record, Keith Cox
Small Red-eyed Damselflies at Uskmouth in 2017, the first county record, Tara Okon
A Southern Migrant Hawker at Llandegfedd Reservoir in 2019, the first county record, Gavin Vella
A Vagrant Emperor on the Gwent Levels in 2019, the second county record, Kevin Dupé
A Vagrant Emperor at Aberbeeg in 2020, the third county record, Simon Bazeley
A Common Clubtail in Govilon in 2023, the first for the Usk valley, Alan Underwood
An account of one further dragonfly, long thought to have been seen within Monmouthshire, but after further investigation revealed to have been seen only in Breconshire (and so, sadly, not on the Monmouthshire list) can be read here:
A Banded Darter near Trefil in south Wales in 1995, the first British record, Ian D. Smith