Common Blue Damselfly - Enallagma cyathigerum

As the name suggests, the common blue damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum) is one of the commonest species in Great Britain. They can be confused with other blue damselflies and this situation isn't helped by the fact that the markings on this species are rather variable. Adult males are predominantly blue, spotted with black markings resembling stripes. Adult females are much darker with larger areas of black and usually a green background colour, although there is a blue form, again with larger areas of black.



Dragonflies and damselflies can appear alarming to some people, and their old English country names of ‘horse-stingers’ and ‘devil’s darning needles’ suggests they were once feared. This fear probably stems from the long and usually striped abdomen characteristic of these insects and the fact that they can curl their ‘tails’ down as if preparing to sting. In fact, neither dragonflies nor damselflies have the capacity to sting, although they are predatory insects, both in the larval and adult stages.