| Variable damselfly | |
|---|---|
_male.jpg')) | |
| Male, shoulder stripe just broken, UK | |
_female_dark_form_Estonia.jpg')) | |
| Female, dark form, Estonia | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Odonata |
| Suborder: | Zygoptera |
| Family: | Coenagrionidae |
| Genus: | Coenagrion |
| Species: | C. pulchellum |
| Binomial name | |
| Coenagrion pulchellum (Vander Linden, 1825) | |
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_3.jpg)
Male
shoulder stripe unbroken_male_2.jpg)
Male
shoulder stripe broken_mating_Estonia.jpg)
mating
with female blue form
mating
with young adult female blue form
)
_male_3.jpg'))
_male_2.jpg'))
_mating_Estonia.jpg'))
)
Female forms
_immature_female_blue_form_Estonia.jpg)
immature female, blue form
_young_adult_female_blue_form_Estonia.jpg)
young adult female blue form
_female_dark_form_2_Estonia.jpg)
adult female, dark form
_immature_female_blue_form_Estonia.jpg'))
_young_adult_female_blue_form_Estonia.jpg'))
_female_dark_form_2_Estonia.jpg'))
Distribution
The variable damselfly occurs throughout Europe. Scattered and uncommon in mainland Britain but widespread and common in Ireland.[2]
References
- ^ 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