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Common blue damselfly

Enallagma cyathigerum

Description:

The Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella) is a species of damselfly found in most of Europe. It is remarkable for its distinctive black and blue colouring.

Habitat:

Close to water.

Notes:

I have a strong feeling that mating is not always between azure damselfly, but that they also mate with other damselfly like the ones with a red or green body. Anyone to confirm or deny?

No species ID suggestions

8 Comments

sttweets
sttweets a year ago

@taka.ita, Oh yes, that is convincing. I'll go over all my other spottings of chasers, darters and damselfly.
Thanks!

taka.ita
taka.ita a year ago

The Ducth wikipedia is not good enough. Check out waarneming.nl, especially http://forum.waarneming.nl/smf/index.php...

But let's go through it, concerning the male on the photo.
1. the black markings on the segments are not prolonged on the sides (which azure damselfly has).
2. the light stripe on the shoulder is broader then the dark stripe next to it: typical for common blue.
3. the thorax has one, not two dark stripes, which also makes it a common blue.

sttweets
sttweets a year ago

@taka.ita, What makes you think it's the common blue damselfly and not the azure variety?
This one seems to have more black than blue on the back of the body, which (to Dutch wikipedia) would ID it as the azure one.

taka.ita
taka.ita a year ago

Not Azure damselfly, but Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)

sttweets
sttweets a year ago

Thanks!

NicoleB
NicoleB a year ago

This is such a beautiful capture!

raulalsc
raulalsc a year ago

agree with Aislin :) is kind of romantic isn´t it ?

AislinnSemethy
AislinnSemethy a year ago

amazing!! i love how it forms a heart! this is a lucky shot! great job!

Castricum, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Lat: 52.57, Long: 4.65

Spotted on Jul 19, 2011
Submitted on Jul 23, 2011

Spotted for mission

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