Blue-tailed Damselfly, Ischnura elegans
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Size
Small; body length 20mm to 30mm.
Colour-patterning
Males are largely black with a pair of blue stripes on the thorax behind the eyes. The eighth abdominal segment is also coloured a conspicuous blue. Females
are very variable in colouration, so much so that there are number of forms which attract their own identities and names. However, all the different forms have one common character and that is that the eighth abdominal segment is differentially coloured to the rest of the abdomen, which is black. Typical females have the same blue and black colour patterning as the males. Variations in colour include a range of shades of brown through to rose-pink and violet. In some cases, the thoracic stripes can be replaced by the entire thorax being light or orange-brown with a broad black band down the centre.
Behaviour
Blue-tailed damselflies are not strong fliers and tend to remain in, or close to, marginal or emergent vegetation where they spend much of their time at rest or sunning themselves. When they leave the vegetation they fly low over the water surface. They are the least aggressive of our damselflies. Mating takes place on land and the pair separate before the female goes off to lay her eggs in surface vegetation.
Where to look for it
Generally this species can be found wherever there is fresh or brackish water as long as it is not fast flowing and it is usually associated with ponds, wet ditches and slow flowing water. It frequently takes up residence around garden ponds. It occurs in most of the citys Local Nature Reserves where there is suitable habitat, particularly in Forder Valley and at Efford Marsh.
Distribution and status
Very common and widespread.
When to look for it
Late May to August.
Similar species
This species can only be confused with the Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly, Ischnura pumilio, whose eighth segment is blue only on its posterior half and its ninth segment is entirely blue (entirely black in the Common Blue-tailed Damselfly).