David Element
Wildlife Photography and Digital Video Images
________________________________________________
Dragonflies and Damselflies 8
LARGE
RED DAMSELFLY Pyrrhosoma nymphula (m)
AZURE DAMSELFLY Coenagrion
puella (m)
COMMON BLUE DAMSELFLY Enallagma cyathigerum (m)
COMMON BLUE DAMSELFLY Enallagma cyathigerum (f)
VARIABLE
DAMSELFLY Coenagrion pulchellum
(m)
WHITE-LEGGED DAMSELFLY Platycnemis pennipes
TENERAL
RED-EYED DAMSELFLY Erythromma
najas TENERAL (m)
SMALL RED-EYED DAMSELLY Erythromma
viridulum
SCARCE BLUE-TAILED DAMSELFLY Ischnura pumilio
(f)
BLUE-TAILED
DAMSELFLY Ischnura elegans f. typical
BLUE-TAILED DAMSELFLY Ischnura elegans f. rufescens
BLUE-TAILED DAMSELFLY Ischnura elegans f. violacea
SMALL RED DAMSELFLY Ceriagrion tenellum (m)
The
photographs on this page show a selection of British and European damselflies
and most of these have been scanned from transparencies at low resolution. Some of these species are illustrated
elsewhere on this site with higher quality digital photographs.
- The Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula
is the first species on the wing, sometimes appearing as
early as April if conditions are suitable. This distinctive insect is
common and widespread throughout the British Isles and the only possible
confusion species, the Small
Red Damselfly, has much reduced ante-humeral
(thoracic) stripes,
red legs and no black markings on the abdomen of the male. This latter
insect also has a much more restricted distribution than the Large Red and
a later flight period. Females of both species may be extensively marked
with black and each has more than one colour form. It is often easiest to
identify female damselflies by association with males of the same species
and as a general rule colour is not always a dependable identification
feature. Damselflies are zygopterous
(i.e. all four wings are of a fairly similar shape) unlike those of the dragonflies (Anisoptera) in
which there are two distinctly different pairs of wings and a much more
robust body.
- The Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella
is an extremely abundant insect which often overlaps in distribution and
emergence period with other blue damselfly species, particularly the very
similar and comparably numerous
Common Blue Damselfly which actually belongs to a separate
genus (Enallagma).
Most of the remaining predominantly blue damselflies have a much more
limited distribution than these two species. The Azure Damselfly is absent
from the northern half of Scotland. Although many damselflies are
difficult to distinguish, there are characteristic markings on the pronotum and
abdomen which allow the experienced observer to separate them to species
in the field. The male Azure Damselfly has a 'U' - shaped black mark on
the second abdominal segment (see also the Variable Damselfly) and narrower
blue ante-humeral stripe than those of the Common Blue Damselfly. These
markings are evident in the photograph of the male shown above. There are
also subtle differences in the pronotal shape
which aid with the identification of the females of these and other
species, but note that the extent of the black markings and even the
ground colour of damselflies may not be consistent even within a species.
There is insufficient space available here to fully illustrate all of the
damselfly species or all of their forms and a good field guide is
necessary for their study.
- The
male Common Blue
Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum
has broad blue ante-humeral stripes, only one stripe on
each side of the thorax and a characteristic club-shaped marking on the
second abdominal segment. The upper surface of the eighth and ninth
abdominal segments is entirely blue - all other blue damselflies apart
from the Northern
Damselfly (not illustrated) have some black on segment
nine. The pair shown above are in the 'wheel' mating position.
- The Variable Damselfly Coenagrion pulchellum
has a more slender body than either of the two commonest
blue damselfly species and the blue ante-humeral stripes of the male are
usually divided by a small area of black, and therefore described as
'incomplete'. However, this damselfly has been accurately named and the
markings may differ between individuals. Great care should be taken with
the identification of females as other species are very similar, notably
the blue form of the Azure
Damselfly. The pronotal shape is
particularly significant as an identification character. Photographing
this insect is an energy-sapping exercise as males will fly for a short
distance if disturbed, often moments before the would-be photographer
presses the shutter release! Only those with strong knees should apply...
- The White-legged Damselfly Platycnemis pennipes
is a strikingly marked and robust insect which inhabits
the well vegetated margins of slow flowing clean river systems in the
south of England. It is often found in the company of such indicator
species as the Scarce
Chaser or the Club-tailed
Dragonflies (both illustrated elsewhere). Immature males
and females are very pale and the adults assume pale blue and pale green
ground colours respectively as they mature. The white tibiae are
distinctive, although these only become really obvious on close
examination. The markings are finely defined and clean in appearance and
dissimilar to those of any of the other blue damselfly species.
- The Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma najas
is another robust species with a stronger flight than many other
damselflies. The fully adult male possesses characteristic deep red eyes
and a bright blue pruinescent band at the tip
of the abdomen. A pale green immature (teneral) male is shown above. The
red eyes used to be a unique feature amongst British damselflies until the
recent arrival of the more lightweight Small Red-Eyed Damselfly Erythromma
viridulum which became
established as a breeding species in the Essex and parts of the Lea (Lee)
Valley and is now spreading further afield. Mature Red-eyed Damselflies
are typically observed on floating vegetation some distance from the
water's edge and they are therefore rather more challenging as
photographic subjects than most other damselflies. Water lilies are a
favourite perch and these are aggressively defended against would be
intruders of the same and other damselfly species.
- The Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly is
an uncommon insect in Britain with population concentrations in southern
Wales, Anglesey, the south west and southern coastal counties of England.
This species may also be found in scattered populations in parts of
Ireland. Poorly vegetated shallow pools are used for breeding and these
are often created by human activity. The photograph above shows a female
which was photographed in northern Spain, many hundreds of miles from the
distribution range shown on the map in R. R. Askew's authoritative 'The Dragonflies of Europe'.
This almost certainly reflects the difficulties associated with obtaining
authentic records from poorly recorded areas of Europe. This species is
most likely to be confused with the Blue-tailed
Damselfly (see below).
- The Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans is another
very common species which is able to utilise almost any water-body with
the exception of fast-flowing rivers. It is quite tolerant of pollution or
increased salinity and is therefore able to exploit habitats which would
be entirely unsuitable for some of the more fussy species. The eponymous
'blue tail' is actually abdominal segment nine which is entirely blue in
most (but not all) examples of this species. The female progresses through
different named colour forms as she matures, but even these are not
consistent. Immature females have attractive pink (rufescens
- see above) or violet (violecea)
forms and each of these may then develop into less brightly coloured fully
adult insects (some form violacea mature into a
blue form typica
resembling the male). Confused? Well fortunately this insect is easy to
recognise, but once again the use of a well-illustrated field guide is
advised when researching the colour forms.
- The Small Red Damselfly Ceriagrion tenellum
is an uncommon, predominantly wet heathland specialist with a southern and
western distribution. It is weak flying and rather difficult to see as it
often roosts on grasses and blows with the breeze. The male (shown) has
red legs and an entirely red abdomen and these features should be compared
with those of the Large
Red Damselfly.
There are several different colour forms of the females
with varying amounts of black on the abdomen. In form erythrogastrum
the black is entirely absent and these females closely resemble the males.
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