Common Blue Damselfly - Enallagma cyathigerum

Description

A medium-small damselfly. It can be distinguished from other blue damselflies by the thick blue stripe on its thorax. The other common and similar damselfly, the Azure, has a much thinner stripe. With a little practice, it is relatively easy to pick out this difference in the field. Mature females have three colour forms: 'blue', 'brown' (which is often yellowish-orange) and typical (greenish). The males are a drab pink/purple when just emerged, taking a few days to become blue. However they can be distinguished from females by having solid blue on the bottom 2 abdominal segments.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

It favours open water habitat such as large ponds, lakes, canals and rivers but adults can be found away from water in shady spots such as woodland rides.

When to see it

It flies from May through to September.

UK Status

Widespread and fairly common throughout Britain.

VC55 Status

Common and widely distributed in Leicestershire and Rutland.

Further Information

Another species widely distributed in VC 55, the Common Blue Damselfly favours open water habitat such as large ponds, lakes, canals and rivers. Historic records suggest that this species has always been widespread.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Common Bluet, Common Blue Damselfly
Species group:
Dragonflies and Damselflies
Kingdom:
Animalia
Order:
Odonata
Family:
Coenagrionidae
Records on NatureSpot:
804
First record:
16/07/1979 (Patricia Evans)
Last record:
31/08/2024 (McLoughlin, Margaret)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

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