Description

Over all length 30 - 36mm. This is a much more robust insect than the other 'blue' damselflies. The male is mostly black with blue on the thorax and segments nine and ten of the abdomen. The female is also mostly black but with green on the thorax and no solid blue on the abdomen. The male has no shoulder stripes but the female has very short ones. In mature insects, both sexes have red eyes.

Habitat

Likes still water with plenty of floating vegetation for basking. At Netherfield Lagoons the Small and Large Gravel Pits are favoured sites.

Status and distribution

This is a recent colonist of the lagoons which is nationally spreading north and west from a south eastern beach-head. Numbers depend to some extent on the amount of floating water plants, which are often effected by swans eating the plants or dogs trampling them. Can be seen in fair numbers when the floating vegetation is good, and is widespread in Nottinghamshire.

Best time to see

Mid-May to mid-August