Tag damselfly

Small Red-Eyed Damselfly

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The Small Red-Eyed Damselfly (Erythromma viridium) is an insect in the Coenagrionidae family of damselflies, which are similar to dragonflies.

The Small Red-Eyed Damselfly has a long, cylindrical, slender abdomen with ten segments. It has membranous forewings and hindwings. It has compound eyes (like the eyes of house flies) and three simple eyes (ocelli) on its forehead, with small antennae. The joint between its head and prothorax is flexible, which enables the damselfly to swivel its head. 

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Southern Damselfly

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The Southern Damselfly (Coenagrion mercuriale) is a medium-sized insect in the Coenagrionidae family of damselflies which are similar to dragonflies. It is also known as the Mercury Bluet.

The Southern Damselfly has a long, cylindrical, slender abdomen with ten segments. The male is bright blue with black markings. The female is less colourful. It has a mark on the second segment of its abdomen that resembles the symbol for the planet Mercury. It has forewings and hindwings which are similar in appearance and are membranous. It has compound eyes (like the eyes of house flies) and three simple eyes (ocelli) on its forehead. It has small antennae. 

The joint between its head and prothorax is flexible, which enables the damselfly to swivel its head. 

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Ivory Featherleg Damselfly

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The Ivory Featherleg Damselfly (Platycnemis dealbata) is an insect in the Platycnemididae family of dragonflies and damselflies. It is also known as the Needles Swallows Damselfly.

The Ivory Featherleg Damselfly has an elongated, cylindrical ivory-coloured body, enlarged white legs, a large head with large eyes, and a bulbous tail. The male’s abdomen is almost all-white. It has black markings down its abdomen. Its head had broad, pale-brown double antehumeral stripes. Its wings are long and translucent.

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Common Blue Damselfly

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The Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum) is an insect in the Coenagrionidae family of dragonflies and damselflies. It is also known as the Common Bluet or the Northern Bluet. 

The Common Blue Damselfly has a long, thin, cylindrical beige to cream body with a light-blue head and a light-blue bulbous tail. Its wings are long and translucent. The male is blue with black markings, and the female can be varied in colour.

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Common Winter Damselfly

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The Common Winter Damselfly (Sympecma fusca) is an insect in the Lestidae family of slender damselflies. It is similar to the dragonfly. It is related to the Emerald Damselfly.

The Common Winter Damselfly is distinct from other damselflies because it does not havea metallic green colour that is common in the Lestidae family, nor is it bright blue or red. It is pale brown. Its body is long and cyclindrical. The adult male often changes the colour of his eyes from brown to blue in winter, but the female lacks the blue colour. 

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Emerald Damselfly

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The Emerald Damselfly (Lestes sponsa) is an insect in the Lestidae family of slender damselflies. It is also known as the Common Spreadwing. It is similar to the dragonfly.

The Emerald Damselfly has a metallic green colour. Its body is long and cyclindrical. The adult male has a powder blue colour on the prothorax and near its tail. The adult male also has large blue eyes. The female lacks the blue colour. 

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Fallacy: Mayflies are only seen in May

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Are Mayflies only seen in May?

No, Mayflies are not only seen in May. The belief that Mayflies are only seen in May is not true—it is a fallacy. 

The Common Mayfly (Ephemera danica) is seen in the Northern Hemisphere in May and June. Elsewhere in the world, mayflies are seen in other months.

The Mayfly is an insect in the Palaeoptera family of dragonflies and damselflies. It lives all over the world, near freshwater rivers, ponds, and lakes.

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Banded Demoiselle Damselfly

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The Banded Demoiselle Damselfly (Calopteryx splendens) is an insect in the Calopterygidae family of damselflies. 

The Banded Demoiselle has an iridescent dark blue-green body with greenish tinted, translucent wings. Each of its four wings has a wide brown band. Females have a metallic green or bronze body with greenish tinted wings, without the brown bands. The last three body segments are white, and are referred to as the ‘white rear light.’

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Damselfly and Dragonfly: what’s the difference?

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What’s the difference between a Damselfly and a Dragonfly?

Both a damselfly (order Odonata, sub-order Zygoptera) and a dragonfly (order Odonata, sub-order Epiprocta) are insects.

A damselfly keeps its wings folded when it is resting, along or above the abdomen.

A dragonfly holds its wings flat, away from the body, when it is resting.

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Swamp Bluet Damselfly

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The Swamp Bluet (Coenagrion lyelli) is a medium-sized insect in the Coenagrionidae family of damselflies, similar to a dragonfly. It lives across the globe in most climates, near streams, pools, and lakes.

The Swamp Bluet male is bright blue with black markings. The abdomen is long and slender with ten segments. It has compound eyes (like house flies) and three simple eyes (ocelli) on its forehead. It has small antennae.

The joint between head and prothorax is flexible, which enables the damselfly to swivel its head.

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