Northern Damselfly

Listed as Endangered in the British Odonata Red List 2008.

This species is restricted in the UK to the Scottish Highlands.

This species is restricted in the UK to sedge-fringed lochans in the Scottish Highlands.

• Length: 31mm
• Face and eyes are bright green on the bottom.
• Thin antehumeral stripes on the back of the thorax
• Coenagrion spur.
• Male: blue and black. ? “spades” symbol at top of abdomen (varies). Segments 8 and 9 (near the bottom of the abdomen) are completely blue apart from 2 small black spots.
• Female: distinctly green from the side but mostly black from above.

Antennae with 6 segments.

Prominent spotting on the head.

Caudal lamellae long and narrow with distinct, dark nodal constriction and dark nodal lines.

• Climate change; increasing temperatures and erratic rainfall threaten the species bog pool habitat.
• Ditch installation and drainage.
• Peat cutting.
• Forestation of the uplands.

Northern Damselfly Management Profile

Only two other species of blue/green and black damselflies share their range with the Northern Damselfly

Common Blue Damselfly

• No coenagrion spur.
• Thicker antehumeral stripes on the thorax instead of thin.
• Male: button shaped marking instead of a spade shaped marking.

Azure Damselfly

• Rarely in Northern Damselfly range.
• Male: ‘U’ shaped marking instead of a spade shaped marking.
• Females: some have blue markings. Pronotum is tri-lobed instead of having a blunt point.

This species is easily confused with the other members of the genus Coenagrion and with the Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum . Look at S2 (on the males) for distinguishing characters. Northern Damselfly is a weak flyer and has a very restricted range. The females can be particularly tricky to distinguish apart.