Photos

Various stages of Blue-tailed Damselfly - Ischnura elegans development, adult and immature males, the different female colour forms, and pairs in cop are all shown.

• 
  Pair "in cop" at Felmersham NR
  The female is the infuscans form
• 
  Immature male, River Great Ouse between Kempston and Bromham
• 
  Female, River Great Ouse between Kempston and Bromham
  This is an andromorphic female. The colouring is very similar to an immature male
• 
  Male, Felmersham NR
• 
  Female, River Great Ouse between Kempston and Bromham.
  This is the rufescens form.
• 
  Pair "in cop", River Great Ouse between Kempston and Bromham.
  The female is the andromorphic form
• 
  Female,andromorphic form, Felmersham NR.
  This particular female has an infestation of mites, not uncommon amongst damselflies.

• 
  Male, River Great Ouse, Roxton
• 
  Pair in cop, River Great Ouse at Roxton
  The female is the rufescens-obsoleta form
• 
  Female, River Great Ouse, Biddenham Country Loop
  This female is of the rufescens form
• 
  Female, Felmersham NR
  This female is of the rufescens-obsoleta form
• 
  Female, Felmersham NR
  This female is of the violacea form
• 
  Female, Felmersham NR
  This female is of the rufescens form

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Main features

Classification:

Odonata
	Zygoptera			Damselflies
		Coenagrionidae		Blue or red damselflies

Abundant damselfly - the most common in Bedfordshire, the distinctive blue tipped black abdomen of the male makes them easy to spot. Immature males have the same pattern, but the blue on the thorax is replaced by green.

Females are polymorphic, that is they exist in multiple colour forms, and these change further according to both age and genetics so that there are 5 different colour forms in total. This, and the immature phases (violacea and rufescens) lasting only a few days, can make identification more difficult.

The development of the different colour forms is summarised in the table below:

violacea
	Develops to either	andromorph (same colouring as immature male)
	or	infuscans
rufescens
	Develops to	rufescens-obsoleta

Habitat

Found almost anywhere where there is water, common around most rivers and ponds etc. More tolerant of polluted waters than most Odonata, and often the only species visible in poor weather.

Where to see

Virtually anywhere.

Seen between early May and late September