Blue-tailed Damselfly

Ischnura elegans II

Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans), rear garden pond, Staffordshire, England. July 2017

07/17 by Peter Hillman Categories: Animals, Animals (Invertebrates), Dragonflies, Garden, Garden Pond, Insect Macro, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature Photography, Photography, Wildlife PhotographyTags: Blue-tailed Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans, Damselflies, Dragonflies, Garden Pond, Insect Macro, Insects, Ischnura elegans, Macro, Macro Photography, Nature, Nature Photography, Odonata, Photography, Wildlife, Wildlife Photography 41 Comments

Ischnura elegans female infuscans form

I caught this damsel damselfly basking in sun which was just making it through a cloud covered sky.

Please click on an image for a larger more detailed view. Clicking a second time may get you a little closer.

Rear garden, Staffordshire, England. June 2017.

06/1706/17 by Peter Hillman Categories: Animals, Animals (Invertebrates), Dragonflies, Garden, Garden Pond, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature Photography, Photography, Wildlife PhotographyTags: Blue-tailed Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans female infuscans form, Damselflies, Dragonflies, Ischnura elegans, Macro, Macro Photography, Nature, Nature Photography, Odonata, Photography, Wildlife, Wildlife Photography 16 Comments

Identifying dragonflies and damselflies can be quite challenge at times, especially as they go through their stages and can have many forms. This is a first for me, and for the garden pond. It is a Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans form rufescens) female immature. The females of this particular species actually come in five colour forms, and this is one of the five.

Garden pond, Staffordshire. England. May 2017.

05/17 by Peter Hillman Categories: Animals, Animals (Invertebrates), Dragonflies, Garden, Garden Pond, Insects, Macro Photography, Nature Photography, Photography, Wildlife PhotographyTags: Blue-tailed Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans form rufescens female immature, Damselflies, Dragonflies, Insects, Ischnura elegans, Macro, Macro Photography, Nature, Nature Photography, Odonata, Photography, Wildlife, Wildlife Photography 18 Comments

Another Damsel Pays A Visit

The afternoons seem to be the time the damselflies like to visit my garden pond and hang around a little. Yesterday a red one visited, and today a blue one, or rather a light greenish-blue one. This one was another female called the Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans).

Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans) female form infuscans

Photographs taken June 2016, rear garden pond, Staffordshire.

06/1606/16 by Peter Hillman Categories: Dragonflies, Garden, Garden Pond, Insects, Nature PhotographyTags: Blue-tailed Damselfly, Damselflies, Dragonflies, Garden, Garden Pond, Garden Pond, Insects, Ischnura elegans, Macro, Macro Photography, Nature, Nature Photography, Odonata, Wildlife Photography Leave a comment

Blue-tailed Damselfly

Ischnura elegans

Down by the river today I came across these bright blue damselflies resting in tall grass on the river bank. All appear to be male, although the females have up to five different colour forms, and one is very much like the males. It can be a patient game photographing these up close with a macro lens as they can be fairly skittish. The good thing is they don’t always fly far if disturbed, and they do seem to get used to you after a time.

Quite a distinctive damselfly with its bright blue tail and blue stripes on the thorax. Other colour forms exist which may lead to confusion, particularly with the female. Body length 30mm. Forewing 15 to 20mm.

Pairs may spend up to six hours mating, and are commonly found in the ‘wheel’ position.

Seen may to August, and found in a wide range of habitats amongst waterside vegetation. This is one of Britain’s commonest damselflies, widespread mainly in the south.

Photographs taken June 2016, local river, Staffordshire.