Calopteryx virgo
Date First Recorded in the Garden: 10.05.2024
Family Calopterygidae: Demoiselles
In the UK, you are only really likely to see two species from this family of damselflies: Calopteryx virgo, recorded on this page, and Calopteryx splendens, otherwise known as the Banded Demoiselle.
According to the Field Guide to Dragonflies (*1), members of this family can be distinguished from other families of damselflies by having a combination of wing colouration, metallic bodies, and dense wing venation (see image below). Also, by the absence of pterostigma, markings usually found on the leading wing edge of many Odonata, such as this Large Red Damselfly.
Beautiful Demoiselle – Calopteryx virgo
Beautiful Demoiselles are relatively easy to identify as the males have dark purple/blue wings; the whole surface is coloured. Whereas for the male Banded Demoiselle, there is only a band of dark colouring on the outer half of the wing. Female Banded Demoiselles usually have rather transparent, albeit brownish, wings. Whereas our female Beautiful Demoiselle visitor below has dark rust-coloured wings, making her unmistakable. An amazing looking insect.
They fly from May to September, so the female above has made a good start in life, appearing in the Garden on 10th May. This species has a bit of a stronghold in the South-west of England. It prefers cool running water, usually smaller shaded streams.
The aquatic larva, which typically develops over two years, is a fierce predator like all damselflies. Similarly, the adults hunt on the wing for small flying insects. There are plenty of those in the Garden. Unlike most dragonflies and damselflies, this species has a courtship display, and when you come across large congregations of them, their flights are very impressive.
1* Dijkstra, K-D.B., A. Schroter & R. Lewington. 2020. Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Britain and Europe. Second Edition. Bloomsbury Publishing, London.
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