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 most of England (south of the Humber), Wales and Ireland.

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.

Size: 18-24mm

Long ‘horn-like’ antennae and long thin legs distinguish this as a Demoiselle. Two pale bands on the caudal lamellae (sometimes difficult to see) and lack of an occupital tooth behind each eye distinguish this as a Banded Demoiselle.