Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans

Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans

Monks Eleigh, Suffolk, England

The Blue-tailed Damselfly is found throughout Europe apart from Scandinavia and parts of Spain and is one of the commonest damselflies in the British Isles right up to the north of Scotland.

The male, seen here in photos 1 to 3 is mainly dark with a bright blue segment 8 and blue or bluish-green stripes on the thorax. Note also the two coloured pterostigma on the fore-wings. Photo 4 shows a newly emerged male or teneral.

Females in particular have many colour forms. Photos 5 and 6 show the rufescens form of an immature female while photo 7 shows the mature female rufescens-obsoleta form. Photo 8 shows a damselfly and the exuvia or larval skin from which it has just emerged.

Newly emerged male Blue-tailed Damselfly, Monks Eleigh, Suffolk, England, July 2007 - click for larger image

Female Blue-tailed Damselfly, Monks Eleigh, Suffolk, England, June 2009 - click for larger image

Female Blue-tailed Damselfly, Monks Eleigh, Suffolk, England, July 2007 - click for larger image

Female Blue-tailed Damselfly, Monks Eleigh, Suffolk, England, August 2007 - click for larger image

Emerging Blue-tailed Damselfly, Monks Eleigh, Suffolk, England, June 2008 - click for larger image

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