Blue-tailed Damselfly

Name: Blue-tailed Damselfly

Scientific name: Ischnura elegans

Category: Minibeasts

Nature Stars: 20

What are nature stars?

About: A small dark damselfly, about 6 cm long. Mostly black in colour, with a pale blue band towards the end of the body. One of the commonest damselflies, particularly common in garden ponds but also found around almost any water body and can be found away from breeding sites in grassland and woodland. On the wing from the end of May through to September.

How to identify: The smaller Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly is a much rarer animal, found around temporary ponds in the south and west. The two species of red-eyed damselflies are more robust, and have bright red eyes.

Where: Widespread.

Natural Superpowers

• Predator: 60
• Agility: 70
• Rarity: 30
• Cute factor: 30
• Traveller: 40

Fantastic fact: Damselflies can be told from dragonflies by their smaller, more delicate bodies and because they hold their wings closed, fold back along the length of their body. Dragonflies keep their stiff wings held out to the side of their bodies.

Photograph credit: Photo credit tbc