Blue-tailed Damselfly

Ischnura elegans

Common & widespread in Britain & Ireland.

Males have a head and thorax patterned with blue and black.

There is a bi-coloured pterostigma on the front wings.

Eyes are blue.

Segment eight, however, is entirely pale blue.

At rest, the wings of most damselfly species are held back together, unlike dragonflies, which rest with their wings out flat.

Females come in a variety of colour forms.

Juveniles may be salmon pink, form rufescens; violet, form violacea and a pale green form.

Mature Females may be blue like the Male, form typica; olive green thorax and brown spot, form infuscans or pale brown thorax and brown spot, form infusca-obseleta.

Flies from late May-late August.