Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly vs Forest Darner

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly Forest Darner
Scientific Name Ischnura pumilio Austroaeschna pulchra
Order Odonata Odonata
Family Coenagrionidae Aeshnidae
Size 26-31 mm body length Body 5-6 cm; wingspan 7-9 cm
Habitat Wetlands Forests
Diet Omnivores Predators
Regions Western Europe, Central Europe, Southern Europe Australia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly

One of Europe's smallest damselflies, with a black body and a single blue segment near the tail tip. Females come in a remarkable variety of colour forms.

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Did You Know?

It specialises in colonising new and temporary water bodies that other dragonflies avoid.

Forest Darner

A handsome darner dragonfly with blue and brown markings found in temperate forests of eastern Australia. It flies along sunlit gaps in the forest canopy.

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Did You Know?

Its genus name Austroaeschna means 'southern darner', reflecting its distribution in temperate Australia.