Azure Damselfly

The Azure Damselfly is a small blue damselfly with bands of black along the body. Both male and female have a coenagrion spur on the side of the thorax and a thin blue shoulder stripe. The male is blue and has a flat-bottomed U-shape on the second segment. The female is green or pale blue with extensive black markings.

They can be seen flying from May to September, around most waterbodies as well as grassland and woodland.

Damselflies lay in wait for their prey, before catching it in mid-air with their legs and then returning to their perch to eat.

There are seven species of small blue Damselflies in Britain. The best way to identify them is to look at the second segment on the male damselflies abdomen, which is just behind the thorax. (This is easier said than done!) The second segment on the Azure Damselfly, is blue with a black U-shape.

Very common throughout the British Isles except the northern half of Scotland.