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Pond and stream · Dragonflies, damselflies and mayflies
Banded demoiselle
Calopteryx splendens
A slender, metallic damselfly. The male is shining blue with a dark band across each wing. The female is green.
- Size
- About 4.5cm long
- Look for it
- May to August
- Where
- Slow rivers, streams and canals with muddy beds, in England, Wales and Ireland
My spotter's list
Flutters after you like a butterfly. Move your pointer and see.
Good to know
Six things about the damselfly
WingsA thumbprint on each wing
The dark band on the male's wing looks as though someone has pressed an inky thumb on it.
DanceA fluttering display
Males flick and flash their wings at females, and chase rival males in spinning pairs.
TellDamselfly or dragonfly?
At rest a damselfly folds its wings along its body. A dragonfly holds them out flat, like an aeroplane.
GirlsGreen and gold
The female is metallic green with clear, greenish wings and no band.
YoungTwo years in the mud
The stick-thin nymph lives among roots and weed on the river bed for about two years.
CleanA sign of a healthy river
It needs clean, slow water with plants on the banks, so finding it is good news for the river.
The real thing
Photos of the damselfly
Photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under the free licences shown. They have been resized, and cropped where they appear in link previews.
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Out and aboutHow to spot one
Walk a river bank on a sunny day in June. Look for blue males perched on reeds and nettles overhanging the water. Take an adult with you.
Lend a handHow to help
Bankside plants matter. Rivers cut back to bare earth lose their demoiselles.
Following youLadybird
Who should follow you?
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The garden
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Meadow and hedgerow
Pond and stream
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The log pile
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After dark
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