Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella Bedfordshire

Azure Damselfly – Coenagrion puella

European common name: Azure Bluet

BDS pronunciation: coin-ag-ree-on poo-ell-a

The Azure Damselfly – Coenagrion puella, is a common and often seen damselfly. One of several similar looking blue damselflies, but its appearance can be variable.

Classification:

Odonata
	Zygoptera		Damselflies
		Coenagrionidae	Blue or red Damselflies

An abundant damselfly, one of several similar species with blue and black markings. The Azure has some distinctive features that help identification.

The male has a predominantly blue body with black markings and features a characteristic ‘U’ marking on the second segment. The female has both blue and green (dark) forms.

Both the male and female have narrow shoulder stripes on the side of the thorax, helping separate this species from the similar Common Blue Damselfly – Enallagma cyathigerum.

Pterostigma are dark. Unlike most damselflies, the Azure sometimes rests with its wings held somewhat open, rather than closed.

Detail of the characteristic ‘U’ marking on the male second segment:

Overall length: 33 – 35 mm
Wings: 16 – 23 mm

The most similar species is the Variable Damselfly – Coenagrion pulchellum, and the differences are summarised below:

Feature	Variable Damselfly – Coenagrion pulchellum	Azure Damselfly – Coenagrion puella
Head	Pale bar between eyespots	No markings between eyespots
Pronotum	Heavily lobed, mostly black	Less obvious lobes, pale edge
Thoracic stripes	Often broken, resembling exclamation ‘!’ mark (this is very variable between individuals)	Usually continuous, unbroken stripe
Segment 2	Heavy ‘wine glass’ mark with ‘stem’ (this is very variable between individuals)	Black ‘U’ mark
Segement 9-10	Mostly black, ‘Bat’ shaped mark (with some variation between individuals)	Mostly blue, black, ‘bow tie’ mark

There are several other broadly similar species that might cause some confusion:

White-legged Damselfly – Platycnemis pennipes
Has paler colouring, white legs, and the black is less extensive on the dorsal surface of the abdomen. Has four shoulder stripes, rather than two.
Common Blue Damselfly – Enallagma cyathigerum
Has a ‘mushroom’ or ‘lollipop’ shaped marking on segment 2 of the male. Females are more difficult, but segment 2 more extensively black than in the Azure. Male and female have broader shoulder stripes on the thorax than the Azure and lack the ‘Coenagrion spur’.
Red-eyed Damselfly – Erythromma najas
Male: Is larger, with very obviously red eyes. Dorsal surface of the abdomen mostly black except for a prominent blue ‘tail-light’. All black thorax and no shoulder stripes from above.
Female: Is larger, with green or reddish green eyes. Dorsal surface of the abdomen more extensively black. All black thorax and incomplete shoulder stripes from above.
Small Red-eyed Damselfly – Erythromma viridulum
Male: Is smaller, with very obviously red eyes. Dorsal surface of the abdomen mostly black except for a prominent blue ‘tail-light’. Almost all black thorax but with a single narrow shoulder stripe from above.
Female: Is smaller, with green eyes. Dorsal surface of the abdomen more extensively black. All blue thorax with narrow green shoulder stripe from above.
Blue-tailed Damselfly – Ischnura elegans
Dorsal surface of the abdomen is mostly black, except for a prominent blue ‘tail-light’ (other colours in some female colour forms).

Favours ponds and slow rivers with plenty of vegetation. Can often be seen well away from water as they feed.

Common throughout the region. I’ve encountered many along the River Great Ouse at Kempston and also at Felmersham NR and Marston Thrift, but you can expect to find them wherever suitable breeding waters are present.

Visible from late April to early September, peaking May to July.