A bit of a mix-up

Twice within a few minutes I saw a pair of darters that didn't look quite right.  Each time there was a male ruddy darter in tandem with a female common darter.  At first I thought it was the same pair but, looking at the photos, the females have different colours and different blemishes on their wings, so I think they are two different individuals.  The male could be the same one - over-amorous, inexperienced and making the same mistake twice.  The second female had certainly spotted his mistake and was trying to escape.

To check my ID was correct I put the top photo on the UK Dragonflies & Damselflies Facebook page last night and John Curd has confirmed it.  Mixed species pairings are reported and may be more common than realised as it is often less easy to confirm the identity of female dragonflies.  Because they are different species successful mating does not occur.  I expect one or both partners quickly realise the (male's) mistake and move on to find a more suitable partner.