Damselflies



A selection of damselfly photos are given below. All taken with my Panasonic Lumix FZ45 Bridge camera since the summer of 2012. Ordered as follows:
  • Calopterygidae - Demoiselles
  • Lestidae - Emerald damselflies
  • Coenagrionidae - Red damselfies and Blue damselflies
The countries indicated after each name denotes where the species shown in the photographs were seen.

All photos copyright of the author unless stated otherwise.


Calopterygidae - Demoiselles


Beautiful Demoiselle - Calopteryx virgo (UK)
Beautiful Demoiselles seen at the stream at Old Lodge, Ashdown Forest, Sussex in June 2014 (top two) and near Blankenloch, Karlsruhe, Germany in June 2015 (bottom three).

 

























































Banded Demoiselle - Calopteryx splendens (UK)
Cracking Banded Demoiselles seen at Stocker's Lake/River Colne, Herts. in June 2012 (first and second) with the next two from Strumpshaw Fen RSPB, Norfolk in June 2014, and the next two from near Blankenloch and the final one from Waghäusel, both places near Karlsruhe, Germany (June 2015). The last photograph, one of many seen at the wetland of Saalbachniederung, north of Karlsruhe, Germany (May 2019).

 























 













































Lestidae - Emerald damselflies

Emerald Damselfly - Lestes sponsa (UK)
Emerald Damselfy seen at Strumpshaw Fen RSPB, Norfolk in June 2014.



























Scarce Emerald Damselfly Lestes dryas (UK)
Finally connected with this scarce coloniser along the Thames Estuary at Canvey Island in July 2017




















Willow Emerald Damselfly Lestes viridis (UK)
Willow Emerald Damselfly seen at Rainham Marshes RSPB, London in September 2016 (top) and September 2018 (next two). Bottom one from Lee Valley CP, Herts. (Sep. 2023).































Emerald Damselfly sp. - Lestes sp. (UK)
Seen briefly at Rainham Marshes RSPB, London, UK. (Top 2) July 2012, (Middle 3) August 2014 and (Bottom 3) July 2017. Can they be identified to species, 'Emerald Damselfly' or 'Scarce Emerald Damselfly'?

 











 













































Coenagrionidae - Red damselflies and Blue damselflies


Large Red Damselfly - Pyrrhosoma nymphula (UK)
Photos from Rainham Marshes RSPB, London, UK in early June 2013 (first two). Present at Old Lodge, Ashdown Forest, Sussex in June 2014. (next four). Photographed at Weingartenermoor, near Karlsruhe, Germany, May 2019 (last).


































Small Red Damselfly - Ceriagrion tenellum (UK)
Photos of this waif from Old Lodge, Ashdown Forest, Sussex, June 2014.

 








































White-legged Damselfly - Platycnemis pennipes (UK)
This distinctive damselfly species photographed at the wetland of Saalbachniederung, north of Karlsruhe, Germany (May 2019). .



















Azure Damselfly - Coenagrion puella (UK)
First 2: First two photos from June 2012 - Rainham Marshes RSPB, London, UK. Bottom : From Strumpshaw Fen RSPB, Norfolk (June 2014).







































Variable Damselfly - Coenagrion pulchellum (UK)
Photos of this "Azure Damselfy" lookalike from June 2014 - Strumpshaw Fen RSPB, Norfolk, UK.

 











 
















Common Blue Damselfly - Enallagma cyathigerum (UK)
First 3: Common Blue Damselflies seen at Stocker's Lake/River Colne (first 2) and Aldenham CP, Herts., UK (third) in June 2012 and June 2013 respectively. The last one from Strumpshaw Fen RSPB, Norfolk, June 2014.








































Southern Damselfly - Coenagrion mercuriale (GER)
Southern Damselfly present at the wetland of Saalbachniederung, north of Karlsruhe, Germany (May 2019).

















Familiar Bluet - Enallagma civile (USA)
Damselflies were scarce on the trip to Cape May, New Jersey in Sep/Oct 2013, just this one sighted.

 















Blue-tailed Damselfly - Ischnura elegans (UK)
Common at Rainham Marshes RSPB, London, UK. Taken in June 2012, with the last one from the same site in Aug. 2017 of the pink (rufescens) form . 

 









 

























Red-eyed Damselfly - Erythromma najas (GER)
Photos from Waghäusel, Baden-Württemberg, Germany at the beginning of June 2018 (first two) and June 2022 (bottom).





























Small Red-eyed Damselfly - Erythromma viridulum (UK)
Photos from Rainham Marshes RSPB, London, August 2014, July 2015 and July 2022.