Best time to see: Jun to mid Sep
Key facts
Graceful large damselfly with butterfly-like flight; male has distinctive banded wings
Habitat: slow-flowing, mud-bottomed streams, rivers and canals, and nearby meadows; occasionally ponds
Common in southern part of England and throughout most of Ireland
Recognition
Male has metallic blue-green body with dark patches on wings and dark red eyes; body up to 50mm, wingspan up to 72mm
Female has metallic green body with a green tint across the whole of the wings
Usually seen in graceful, flitting flight over emergent vegetation, or perched on a stem with wings folded
Lifecycle
Females lay eggs individually into the tissue of a wide range of aquatic plants, guarded by the male
Larvae overwinter in muddy bottoms, usually for 2 years, travelling up to 100m to shrubs and trees to emerge as adults
© Ken King
© Tony Gunton