Variable damselfly

Variable damselfly
Male, shoulder stripe just broken, UK
Female, dark form, Estonia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Suborder: Zygoptera
Family: Coenagrionidae
Genus: Coenagrion
Species:
C. pulchellum
Binomial name
Coenagrion pulchellum

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 unmarked
    Male
    S9 virtually unmarked
  • Male, shoulder stripe unbroken
    Male, shoulder stripe unbroken
  • Male, shoulder stripe broken
    Male, shoulder stripe broken
  • mating, with female blue form
    mating, with female blue form
  • mating, with young adult female blue form
    mating, with young adult female blue form
  • Female forms
  • immature female, blue form
    immature female, blue form
  • young adult female blue form
    young adult female blue form
  • adult female, dark 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

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ "Variable Damselfly". British Dragonfly Society. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
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