There are 17 different damselflies in the UK. Which species have you spotted?
What damselfly species will you find in the UK?
With small, needle-like bodies, damselflies flit or dance in the air. They're common and widespread throughout England and Wales, but often confused for their larger cousin, the dragonfly.
Here are the damselfly species you're most likely to see along our canals and rivers.
Banded demoiselle damselfly
Calopteryx splendens
Banded demoiselle damselflies are widespread in Britain. You'll often see them flitting around canals, slow-moving rivers, ponds, or lakes.
About 4.5cm long, males are blue with a dark band across their wings that looks like a fingerprint. Females are green in colour with paler green wings.
Banded demoiselles are found along canals and slow moving rivers.
Emerald damselfly
Lestes sponsa
Emerald damselflies are commonly seen on canals or around ponds, lakes, and ditches between June and September. Metallic green in colour, these damselflies are about 3.8cm long. Males have pale blue eyes with a blue thorax and tip of the abdomen. Females have pale beige stripes on the thorax.
Unusually, the emerald damselfly holds its wings half-open when not in flight – giving it the nickname ‘common spreadwing’.
Females have thicker body than males and no blue colouring.
Large red damselfly
Pyrrhosoma nymphula
The large red damselfly is medium-sized (despite its name) and is often seen in gardens or around ponds, lakes, ditches, and canals. Large reds are the earliest damselfly to appear, on the wing from April to August.
Males are bright red with a black thorax and black bands towards the rear. Females often appear completely black.
Large red male damselflies are hard to miss.
Azure damselfly
Coenagrion puella
Azure damselflies are widespread and common around bodies of water. They’re 3.3cm long and on the wing from late May to September.
Azure damselflies are pale blue with black bands along the body. Males have a black ‘U’ shape just behind the thorax.
Females often appear green-blue with a black abdomen.
The common blue is a regular friend of garden ponds and local canals. About 3.2cm long, common blue damselflies are pale blue with black bands along the body and a mushroom-shaped marking below the thorax. Females can be a dull or pale green.
A pale stripe on the side of the thorax separates the common blue from other blue damselflies.
Blue-tailed damselfly
Ischnura elegans
One of the most common species in the UK, the blue-tailed damselfly is on the wing from April to September and frequents almost any body of water.
Blue-tailed damselflies are small and dark. Males are almost completely black with a pale blue tip of the tail, blue eyes, and blue markings on the thorax. Females can range from blue to violet.
Blue-tailed damselflies will visit polluted water, but they're usually the only species found there.
Red-eyed damselfly
Erythromma najas
A lover of canals, slow-flowing rivers, ponds, and lakes, red-eyed damselflies are often spotted resting on lily pads from May to August.
So-called for its blood-red eyes, these damselflies are otherwise mostly black with pale blue markings on the body and thorax. The red-eyed damselfly is more robust than other similar species.
Willow emerald damselfly
Chalcolestes viridis
A frequenter of willows and alder trees hanging over canals and rivers, the willow emerald damselfly is on the wing from May to August. Between 3.9-4.7cm in length, these damselflies are often mistaken for dragonflies.
Males and females are metallic green, while males have cream markings. Like emerald damselflies, willow emeralds spread their wings when at rest.
White-legged damselfly
Platycnemis pennipes
White-legged damselflies are small, often found near slow-flowing rivers or streams. These damselflies typically stay in the south and central parts of England and Wales.
Males are pale blue, while females range from cream to pale green. Both sexes have black markings and white back legs.
White-legged damseflies are on the wing from May to August.
Beautiful demoiselle damselfly
Calopteryx virgo
Similar to the banded demoiselle, the beautiful demoiselle damselfly are more likely to frequent faster moving rivers. You might spot them perched on waterside vegetation.
Beautiful demoiselle damselflies are a metallic blue with shiny, dark blue wings. Unlike banded demoiselles, their wings are solid blue. Females have browner wings with a white spot. These damselflies emerge in May, and can be seen until September.
