Banded Demoiselle

Mainly found along slow-flowing lowland streams and rivers, particularly those with muddy bottoms.

• Pollution.
• Over-shading from tree growth.
• Intensive dredging.
• Removal of aquatic and bankside vegetation.
• Over abstraction.

Common in Wales and most of England apart from in the north; however, its range is expanding. The species was first recorded from Scotland in 2002; it has now spread along the east coast and west coast in southern Scotland.

The Beautiful Demoiselle is the only other British damselfly with coloured wings but the males have fully coloured wings and the females have brown-tinged wings.

Beware! Internet searches tends to find related American species such as the Ebony Jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata), also known as the Black-winged Damselfly, but such species do not occur in Europe and have never been known to cross the Atlantic.

• Control sources of pollution run off.
• Manage bankside tree growth.

• Length: 45mm
• Male: metallic blue body with broad dark blue-black spot across outer part of wing.
• Female: metallic green body with translucent pale green wings.

Demoiselle larvae have long bodies, short spikey caudal llamellae and long ‘horn-like’ antennae.

No obvious occupital tooth sticking out from behind the eyes.

Two pale bands on the caudal llamellae.

Only Beautiful Demoiselle are similar in appearance.