Azure Bluet - Coenagrion puella

Scientific Name: Coenagrion puella.

English Name: Azure Bluet or Azure Damselfly.

French Name: L'Agrion jouvencelle.

5 Key Characters:

• males usually have a 'U' shaped black mark on their second abdominal segment.
• the black on males segments 3-5 usually just rings, with spikes up the sides.
• males have light blue and black bodies, females bluish green and entirely black on top of the abdomen.
• long and thin for a blue damselfly (33 - 35 mm).
• will fly in relatively low temperatures so long as it is not overcast.

Lookalikes: Variable Bluet C. pulchellum, which is a darker blue, and has blue shoulder stripes in the form of an exclamation mark. Common Bluet Enallagma cyathigerum, which is shorter and more thickset.

Habitat: Many types of water, especially still and especially if there is plenty of aquatic vegetation - ponds, fish ponds (étangs), lakes, permanent marshes, peat bogs, ditches, channels, streams, rivers, oxbow lakes. They do not use brackish water, polluted water or anywhere that is too artificial.

Flight Period: April-May-June-July-August-September.

Status: Common, abundant and ubiquitous. The most common bluet in the Claise Valley and the Brenne.

Photographed by Loire Valley Nature:
All photos will enlarge in a new window if you click on them. Row 1 left & centre female, with prey (a small fly), in the Brenne, May; right male, in the Brenne, May. Row 2 - 3 mating pairs at the Maison du Parc, the Brenne, June.