Northern Damselfly

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

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

Rare and local.

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

This is a Red Data Book species.

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.

Northern Damselfly Management Profile

• 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.