Head to head
Banded Demoiselle vs Beautiful Demoiselle
Banded Demoiselle
VS Beautiful Demoiselle
The banded demoiselle and beautiful demoiselle are two metallic European damselflies in the genus Calopteryx, both fluttering like butterflies beside running water.
| Banded Demoiselle | Beautiful Demoiselle | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Calopteryx splendens | Calopteryx virgo |
| Male wings | A metallic blue-green body and a broad dark blue-black band across the middle of each wing | A metallic blue-violet body and wings that are dark violet-blue all the way across |
| Female | Metallic green with greenish, see-through wings that have no band | A metallic green body with bronze-brown wings and a small pale spot near each wing tip |
| Water | Slow-flowing rivers and streams | Fast-flowing, stony streams with clean water |
| Pollution sensitivity | Widespread and common, though it needs clean, slow-flowing water | Sensitive to pollution, so its presence suggests a stream is healthy |
| Behaviour | Males defend stretches of riverbank vegetation and display their wing bands to rivals and to females | Often perches on streamside plants and spreads its wings, flying with a slow, fluttering wingbeat |
| Range | Europe and into temperate Asia | Europe and into western Asia, and in Britain mainly in the south and west |
| Conservation status | Least Concern, with a stable population | Least Concern, with a stable population |
Banded Demoiselle vs Beautiful Demoiselle: common questions
How can you tell a banded demoiselle from a beautiful demoiselle?
The male banded demoiselle has a broad dark band across each wing, while the male beautiful demoiselle has wings that are dark violet-blue all the way across.
Which one needs clean water?
The beautiful demoiselle, which is sensitive to pollution, so its presence suggests that a stream is healthy.
Do they fly the same way?
Yes, both fly with a slow, fluttering wingbeat that looks more like a butterfly than a typical damselfly.