Common Bluetail vs Norfolk Damselfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Common Bluetail Norfolk Damselfly
Scientific Name Ischnura elegans Coenagrion armatum
Order Odonata Odonata
Family Coenagrionidae Coenagrionidae
Size 27-35 mm 28-32 mm
Habitat Ponds & Lakes Wetlands
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Europe, Asia Europe
Conservation Least Concern Near Threatened

Common Bluetail

A small damselfly with a distinctive blue tail-light on segment eight of the abdomen. Females occur in multiple color forms including violet, green, and brown.

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Did You Know?

Females exist in at least five distinct color forms, a level of polymorphism rare among damselflies.

Norfolk Damselfly

A critically rare damselfly once found in the Norfolk Broads of England, now extinct in Britain. Small populations persist in Scandinavia and eastern Europe.

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Did You Know?

It went extinct in Britain in the 1950s and has not been seen there since despite extensive surveys.