image/svg+xml

Small Red-eyed Damselfly

(Scientific Name: Erythromma viridulum)



Male Small Red-eyed Damselfly by Pam Taylor
Male Small Red-eyed Damselfly by Pam Taylor
Male Small Red-eyed Damselfly by Helder Conceição
Male Small Red-eyed Damselfly by Helder Conceição
Female Small Red-eyed Damselfly by Steve Covey
Female Small Red-eyed Damselfly by Steve Covey
« »


Species Information:


Length: 29mm (Adult)
Flight Period: June to September

A small damselfly with a bronze-black top of the thorax and grey, rather, than black, legs.

Male: eyes brownish red with shoulder stripes usually broken Segment 9 to 10 of the abdomen is blue with a black X on segment 10.
Female: complete, thin green or blue ante-humeral lines. Eyes brown-green and only small areas of blue on segment 9-10.



Habitat:


Found on ponds, lakes and ditches and sometimes on brackish water. It seems to be associated with floating vegetation such as Hornwort and Water Milfoil.



Status & Distribution:


Recent colonist (first records 1999). Spread spectacularly through southeast England and the Isle of Wight in the years immediately following its first appearances. Has now reached Devon in the west and North Yorkshire in the north, but expansion has slowed.



Similar Species:


The similar, but larger, Red-eyed Damselfly is sometimes found in the same habitat and careful observation is needed to distinguish the two species. Could be confused with the Blue-tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans) and Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly but these insects do not have red eyes.

Female Pyrrhosoma nymphula by David Kitching

Pyrrhosoma nymphula

Large Red Damselfly
Female Ischnura elegans by David Kitching

Ischnura elegans

Blue-tailed Damselfly
Male Ischnura pumilio by Frederic Barszezak

Ischnura pumilio

Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly