Emerald Damselfly, Lestes sponsa

Size

Small; body length 25mm to 35mm.

Colour-patterning

Males are a metallic green, often with a bronze lustre particularly over the thorax. The area immediately behind the head, below the thorax, on the first two and last segments of the abdomen are powder blue in mature specimens. Females are an uniform metallic greenish over their upper surfaces.

Behaviour

This damselfly is a weak flier that spends most of its time fluttering in and around marginal vegetation, rarely venturing out over open water. Unlike other damselflies, the Emerald Damselfly commonly rests with its wings half open rather than closed vertically above the abdomen. Mating takes place on vegetation and the pair remains in tandem as the female lays eggs into floating and submerged vegetation. The egg-laying pair will sometimes totally submerge themselves during egg laying.

Where to look for it

The Emerald Damselfly prefers still to slow-moving water that is well protected by marginal and emergent vegetation. With the exception of one private site, this species only forms small populations in Plymouth and not all the known sites are occupied by the damselfly from year to year. The best chances of seeing this species are in Efford Marsh and Forder Valley Local Nature Reserves, the lower Plym Valley and marshland in Newnham Public Open Space.

Distribution and status

Uncommon with very weak populations except on one site.

When to look for it

Mid June to late September.

Similar species

The combination of metallic green colouration and absence of pigmented wings make this species unmistakeable.

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