Ischnura elegans - Blue-tailed Damselfly
Male
Female
Pair in copulation wheel
3 colour forms of the female: typica, rufescens and infuscans-obsoleta
Description
Length: 31mm
Mature males always have a blue spot at the "tail" (S8), blue ant-humeral stripes on the thorax and blue eyes.
Females vary with at least 5 different colour forms.
The thoracic markings and the tail spot are violet in the immature form violacea, but salmon pink thorax and blue spot in the form "rufescens".
When mature the female may be blue (like the male) in the form "typica", olive green thorax and brown spot in the form "infuscans" or pale brown thorax and brown spot in the form "infuscans-obseleta".
Male and female both have bi-coloured pterostigma on the front wings.
Habitat
Found in a very wide range of lowland habitats including brackish or polluted water where it may be the only species present.
Status and Distribution
Abundant throughout the British Isles.
Distribution map from the National Biodiversity Network Gateway (opens in new window).
Similar species
The related but uncommon Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly superficially resembles this species but has a different position for the tail spot.
At a glance could be confused with the two Red-eyed Damselfly species Erythromma najas and E. viridulum but are smaller, less robust looking insects and do not have red eyes.