Male Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella). Taken at Otmoor, Oxon on April 30th 2011. Approx 5x lifesize.
Male. Taken at Otmoor, Oxon on May 21st 2010. Click image for larger version.
(1/160th sec at F14. Approx 3x life size.)
Female Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella). Taken at Otmoor, Oxon on May 21st 2010. Approx 6x lifesize.
Female. Taken at Otmoor, Oxon on May 21st 2010. Click image for larger version.
(1/250th sec at F14. Approx 4x life size.)
Azure Damselfly in cop (Coenagrion puella). Taken at Farmoor, Oxon on June 6th 2010. Approx 3.25x lifesize.
Mating wheel. Taken at Farmoor, Oxon on June 6th 2010.
(1/80th sec at F11. Approx 2.25x life size.)
© David Hastings
Description
Wing span: 30 -48 mm; body length 33 - 35 mm.
This is one of the commonest damselflies in Britain. It breeds in a wide range of standing waters, but prefers smaller and
more sheltered sites than the Common Blue Damselfly.
The male has a characteristic flat-bottomed "U" shaped mark on S2. S8 is blue and S9 has black
markings like a bow tie towards the rear. The female is green or pale blue with extensive black markings. There is also a blue form
of the female.
Eggs are laid, with the pair in tandem, into vegetation or just below the water surface. They hatch after a few weeks. Adults take a year to
reach maturity (two in the north). The flight season is from May to August.
Sightings
| 02-Jul-2011 | : | Otmoor, Oxon (3m) |
| 21-May-2011 | : | Bentley Wood, Wilts (4m) |
| 02-May-2011 | : | Farmoor, Oxon (10+) |
|
| 22-Aug-2010 | : | Tophill Low, E. Yorks |
| 15-Aug-2010 | : | Otmoor, Oxon |
| 19-Jul-2010 | : | Whelford Pools, Glos |
| 10-Jul-2010 | : | Cothill Fen, Oxon |
| 04-Jul-2010 | : | Otmoor, Oxon |
| 01-Jul-2010 | : | Dry Sandford Pit, Oxon |
| 27-Jun-2010 | : | The Brenne, France |
| 26-Jun-2010 | : | The Brenne, France |
| 25-Jun-2010 | : | The Brenne, France |
| 24-Jun-2010 | : | The Brenne, France |
| 22-Jun-2010 | : | Bullfield Lake, Oxon |
| 21-Jun-2010 | : | Dry Sandford Pit, Oxon |
| 20-Jun-2010 | : | Chimney Meadow, Oxon |
| 13-Jun-2010 | : | Otmoor, Oxon |
| 06-Jun-2010 | : | River Thames at Pinkhill, Oxon |
| 21-May-2010 | : | Otmoor, Oxon |
|
| 05-Jul-2009 | : | Otmoor, Oxon |
| 13-Jun-2009 | : | Dry Sandford Pit, Oxon |
| 31-May-2009 | : | Otmoor, Oxon |
