Invertebrates
Blue-tailed Damselfly
Ischnura elegans
Beside a garden pond choked with weed, a blue-tailed damselfly clings to a stem, its black body tipped with a single bright blue segment that glints in the sun.
Overview
The blue-tailed damselfly, Ischnura elegans, is a Least Concern damselfly of ponds and ditches across Europe, North Africa, and parts of western Asia. Its blue tail-tip, several female forms, and tolerance of poor water make it one of the most adaptable damselflies of the Old World.
A damselfly that copes with poor water
By breeding in small and somewhat polluted waters, the blue-tailed damselfly often occupies ponds that no other damselfly can use.
Status
Least Concern, widespread and common.
Blue-tailed Damselfly: common questions
Why is it called the blue-tailed damselfly?
It is named for the single bright blue segment near the tip of the male's mostly black abdomen.
Can the blue-tailed damselfly live in polluted water?
It breeds in small, shallow, or somewhat polluted ponds and ditches that other damselflies avoid.
Why do females look so different?
Females occur in several colour forms, some blue like the male and some green, brown, or violet.
Where is the blue-tailed damselfly found?
It lives around ponds and ditches across Europe, North Africa, and parts of western Asia.