Beautiful Demoiselle

Found in both Britain; the bulk of the population is spread across Wales, south-west England. There are a few scattered populations in northern England and western Scotland.

Mainly found along streams and rivers, particularly those with sand or gravel bottoms. The males rest on bank side vegetation waiting for females.

• Length: 45mm
• Male: metallic blue body with dark wings.
• Female: metallic green-bronze body with translucent pale brown wings.

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

Prominant ‘occipital tooth’ behind each eye.

Single pale band on the caudal lamellae.

Only Banded Demoiselle are similar in appearance.

The Banded Demoiselle is the only other British damselfly with coloured wings but the males only have partly coloured wings and the females have green-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.