Variable damselfly
Variable damselfly | |
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Male, shoulder stripe just broken, UK | |
Female, dark form, Estonia | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Odonata |
Suborder: | Zygoptera |
Family: | Coenagrionidae |
Genus: | Coenagrion |
Species: | C. pulchellum
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Binomial name | |
Coenagrion pulchellum (Vander Linden, 1825)
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The variable damselfly or variable bluet (Coenagrion pulchellum) is a European damselfly. Despite its name, it is not the only blue damselfly prone to variable patterning.
Its behaviour is much like that of the azure damselfly; it usually stays close to vegetation. Immatures are often found in adjacent meadows or uncut grassy areas.
Description[]
The male variable damselfly has a distinctive "wine glass" marking on the second segment of the abdomen. This is a black U-shaped mark with a black line joining the segment's narrow terminal black band.[1] (This distinguishes it from the Azure Damselfly which has the U-shape but no line connecting it to the terminal band.)[1]
Male forms
Male
S9 virtually unmarkedMale
shoulder stripe unbrokenMale
shoulder stripe brokenmating
with female blue formmating
with young adult female blue form
Female forms
immature female, blue form
young adult female blue form
adult female, dark form
Distribution[]
The variable damselfly occurs throughout Europe. Scattered and uncommon in mainland Britain but widespread and common in Ireland.[2]
References[]
- ^ a b Brooks, Steve (1997). Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Great Britain and Ireland. British Wildlife Publishing. ISBN 0-9531399-0-5.
- ^ "Variable Damselfly". British Dragonfly Society. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
External links[]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Coenagrion pulchellum. |
- Damselflies of Europe
- Coenagrionidae
- Insects described in 1825
- Coenagrionidae stubs