Male. Taken at Abingdon, Oxon., on June 4th 2021.
(1/640th sec at f11. Click image for larger version. © David Hastings)
Male. Taken at Whitecross Green Wood, Oxon., on July 1st 2022.
(1/800th sec at f11. Click image for larger version. © David Hastings)
Gynomorph female. Taken at Farmoor, Oxon., on May 2nd 2020.
(1/640th sec at f14. Click image for larger version. © David Hastings)
Andomorph female. Taken at Otmoor, Oxon., on June 16th 2019.
(1/500th sec at f14. Click image for larger version. © David Hastings)
Pair in cop. Taken at Otmoor, Oxon., on June 18th 2018.
(1/400th sec at f14. Click image for larger version. © David Hastings)

Description

Wing span: 32 - 46 mm; body length: 33 - 35 mm

The Azure Damselfly is one of the commonest damselflies in Britain. The male has a characteristic flat-bottomed "U"-shaped mark on S2. S8 is blue and S9 has black markings like a bow tie towards the rear. The female is green or pale blue with extensive black markings. There is also a blue form of the female. Both sexes have the "Coenagrion spur" on the side of the thorax.

It is found throughout the British Isles, but is absent from most of Scotland. It is widespread in Europe except for SE Spain.

It breeds in a wide range of standing waters, but prefers smaller and more sheltered sites than the Common Blue Damselfly. It is regularly found in garden ponds and small ditches.

Eggs are laid, with the pair in tandem, into vegetation or just below the water surface. They hatch after a few weeks. Nymphs take a year to reach maturity (two in the north). The flight season is from May to August.

There is usually a concentrated emergence in spring. Adults stay around the margins of bodies of water, rarely venturing out over open water like the Common Blue Damselfly.

A common and widespread species (except in Scotland).

Sightings

25-Jul-2023	:	Whitecross Green Wood, Oxon	(1)
23-Jun-2023	:	Radley Lakes, Oxon	(2)
12-Jun-2023	:	Otmoor, Oxon	(7)
02-Jun-2023	:	Radley Lakes, Oxon	(100+)
27-May-2023	:	Barnwell Country Park, Northants	(12)
26-May-2023	:	Bucknell Wood, Northants	(1)
26-May-2023	:	Barnwell Country Park, Northants	(20+)
20-May-2023	:	Cholsey Marsh, Oxon	(3)
18-May-2023	:	Otmoor, Oxon	(100+)
16-May-2023	:	Whelford Pools, Glos	(100+)
08-Jul-2022	:	Parsonage Moor, Oxon	(6+)
04-Jul-2022	:	Otmoor, Oxon	(10+)
01-Jul-2022	:	Whitecross Green Wood, Oxon	(10)
23-Jun-2022	:	Latterbarrow, Cumbria	(1)
20-Jun-2022	:	Foulshaw Moss, Cumbria
15-Jun-2022	:	Whitecross Green Wood, Oxon	(50+)
13-Jun-2022	:	Otmoor, Oxon	(100+)
10-Jun-2022	:	Radley Lakes, Oxon	(100+)
07-Jun-2022	:	Whitecross Green Wood, Oxon	(50+)
02-Jun-2022	:	Chimney Meadows, Oxon	(1)
30-May-2022	:	Otmoor, Oxon	(200+)
22-May-2022	:	Chimney Meadows, Oxon	(1)
21-May-2022	:	Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon	(9)
09-May-2022	:	Whelford Pools, Glos	(50+)
14-Jul-2021	:	Otmoor, Oxon	(5)
05-Jul-2021	:	Otmoor, Oxon	(4)
30-Jun-2021	:	Dry Sandford Pit, Oxon	(1)
26-Jun-2021	:	Silchester Common, Hants	(20+)
25-Jun-2021	:	Radley Lakes, Oxon	(100+)
24-Jun-2021	:	Parsonage Moor, Oxon	(1)
23-Jun-2021	:	Otmoor, Oxon	(50+)
15-Jun-2021	:	Otmoor, Oxon	(50+)
15-Jun-2021	:	Whitecross Green Wood, Oxon	(50+)
13-Jun-2021	:	Radley Lakes, Oxon	(50+)
12-Jun-2021	:	Bernwood Meadows, Bucks	(2)
10-Jun-2021	:	Abingdon, Oxon	(1)
07-Jun-2021	:	Whitecross Green Wood, Oxon	(20+)
07-Jun-2021	:	Otmoor, Oxon	(100+)
04-Jun-2021	:	Radley Lakes, Oxon	(20+)
14-Sep-2020	:	Radley Lakes, Oxon	(1)
07-Jun-2020	:	Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon	(3)
05-Jun-2020	:	Dry Sandford Pit, Oxon	(3)
25-May-2020	:	Radley Lakes, Oxon	(40+)
19-May-2020	:	Otmoor, Oxon	(100+)
17-May-2020	:	Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon	(40+)
15-May-2020	:	Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon	(20+)
14-May-2020	:	Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon	(9)
14-May-2020	:	Barton Fields, Abingdon, Oxon	(10)
08-May-2020	:	Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon	(3)
02-May-2020	:	Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon	(4)