Variable damselfly
Variable damselfly | |
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Male, shoulder stripe just broken, UK | |
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Female, dark form, Estonia | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
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
[edit]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
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Male
S9 virtually unmarked -
Male, shoulder stripe unbroken
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Male, shoulder stripe broken
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mating, with female blue form
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mating, with young adult female blue form
- Female forms
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immature female, blue form
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young adult female blue form
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adult female, dark form
Distribution
[edit]The variable damselfly occurs throughout Europe. Scattered and uncommon in mainland Britain but widespread and common in Ireland.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ 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
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