David Element
Wildlife Photography and Digital
Video Images
______________________________________________Dragonflies
and Damselflies 43 – Western Demoiselles
WESTERN
OR YELLOW-TAILED DEMOISELLE Calopteryx xanthostoma (m)
WESTERN OR YELLOW-TAILED
DEMOISELLE Calopteryx xanthostoma
(m)
WESTERN
OR YELLOW-TAILED DEMOISELLE Calopteryx xanthostoma (m)
WESTERN OR YELLOW-TAILED DEMOISELLE Calopteryx
xanthostoma (m, f)
·
The Western or Yellow-tailed Demoiselle Calopteryx xanthostoma is the Iberian
equivalent of the Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens with some
overlapping of the ranges in the South of France and North West Italy. C. xanthostoma
is most easily identified by examining the wings of the males as the dark blue
clouding reaches the very end of the wing-tips. Females are easiest to identify
by association with the males although this shouldn’t be a problem in areas
where C. splendens is known to be
absent. Note that the wing pigmentation in C.
xanthostoma males develops after emergence
according to ‘Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Britain and Europe’ Dijkstra & Lewington, British Wildlife
Publishing, 2006. Although in some
parts of Europe there are forms of C.
splendens in which the clouding also reaches the wing-tips these are clear
in the typical form and these insects emerge with fully coloured wings. There
is also no overlapping of these species in Portugal where this photographs was
taken. The ‘Yellow-tailed’ synonym refers to the creamy-yellow ‘tail-light’
under the tip of the male’s abdomen. Although not visible in the photographs
these are used to signal to the females in combination with elaborate
wing-waving, as illustrated in the second and third images. A pair is shown in
tandem in the fourth photograph.
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