Azure Damselfly
Encyclopedia
The Azure Damselfly is a species of damselfly
found in most of Europe. It is notable for its distinctive black and blue colouring.
patterned with black markings. The marking on the second segment
of the abdomen is U-shaped, separated from the segment's narrow terminal black band. (This distinguishes it from the Variable Damselfly
where the U-shape is joined to the terminal band with a black line.)
Segments three to five are blue with broader black terminal bands, lacking the forward-pointing projection the upper surface which adult male Common Blue Damselfly
has. Segment six has a similar pattern but with more restricted blue and a broader area of black, and segment seven is mostly black, with just a narrow blue area at the base. Segment eight and much of segment nine are sky-blue, forming a noticeable contrasting patch, but there are small dark markings on the rear upper side of segment nine, which adult male Common Blue Damselfly does not possess.
This common Damselfly looks very like a Common Blue Damselfly, but a close look can distinguish the two. The behaviour is also different - unlike Common Blues, they rarely fly out over large stretches of water. They are not normally as common around August and September, June and July being the peak of their populations.
Damselfly
Damselflies are insects in the order Odonata. Damselflies are similar to dragonflies, but the adults can be distinguished by the fact that the wings of most damselflies are held along, and parallel to, the body when at rest...
found in most of Europe. It is notable for its distinctive black and blue colouring.
Males
Adult male Azure damselflies have a head and thorax patterned with blue and black. They have an azure blue abdomenAbdomen
In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...
patterned with black markings. The marking on the second segment
Segmentation (biology)
Segmentation in biology refers to either a type of gastrointestinal motility or the division of some animal and plant body plans into a series of repetitive segments. This article will focus on the segmentation of animal body plans, specifically using the examples of the phyla Arthropoda,...
of the abdomen is U-shaped, separated from the segment's narrow terminal black band. (This distinguishes it from the Variable Damselfly
Variable Damselfly
Coenagrion pulchellum, the Variable Damselfly or Variable Bluet, is a European damselfly. Despite its name, it is not the only blue damselfly prone to variable patterning....
where the U-shape is joined to the terminal band with a black line.)
Segments three to five are blue with broader black terminal bands, lacking the forward-pointing projection the upper surface which adult male Common Blue Damselfly
Common Blue Damselfly
The Common Blue Damselfly or Northern Bluet is a European damselfly.The species can reach a length of 32 to 35 mm...
has. Segment six has a similar pattern but with more restricted blue and a broader area of black, and segment seven is mostly black, with just a narrow blue area at the base. Segment eight and much of segment nine are sky-blue, forming a noticeable contrasting patch, but there are small dark markings on the rear upper side of segment nine, which adult male Common Blue Damselfly does not possess.
Females
Adult female Azure Damselflies have a head and thorax pattern similar to that of the male, but with dull green replacing the blue colour. The abdominal segments are largely black in colour, with narrow pale markings at the junction between each segment.Nymphs
The nymphs are usually green with browner wing buds and lamellae. They develop in one year (two in the north), feeding among submerged vegetation and on small invertebrates.Behaviour
Mature adults are seen frequently mating and laying eggs. It usually stays close to the vegetation around the pond or lake and flies from May to September.This common Damselfly looks very like a Common Blue Damselfly, but a close look can distinguish the two. The behaviour is also different - unlike Common Blues, they rarely fly out over large stretches of water. They are not normally as common around August and September, June and July being the peak of their populations.