Blue Riverdamsel (Pseudagrion microcephalum)

OTHER NAMES: Blue Sprite, Blue Grass Dart
Latin Etymology: Pseudagrion (?) microcephalum ("small head")

Adult male Blue Riverdamsel (Pseudagrion microcephalum) at Lower Pierce Reservoir, Singapore - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: Unknown
Weight: ?  /  Length: 3.8cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern 

By European standards, a fairly typical damselfly, but in this instance it's a widely distributed species found in a huge roughly triangular range between Australia, China and India.  It is a member of Pseudagrion, one of the largest genuses of damselfly in the world, although one I had not specifically encountered before.

Related Species:
Order: Odonata
Family: Coenagrionidae
Genus: Pseudagrion
SUBSPECIES: P. m. stainbergerorum, P. m. microcephalum, others?

 - Sighting Locations -

SINGAPORE - A fairly common resident

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: One seen around Lower Pierce Reservoir

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella)

OTHER NAMES: Pond Damselfly, Azure Blue
Latin Etymology: Coenagrion (?) puella ("little boy")

Adult Azure Damselfly (subspecies C. p. puella) at Geddington, Northants - August 2011

Featured Subspecies: Coenagrion puella puella
Length: 33mm  /  Wingspan: 44-48mm
UK Status: Not Evaluated / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Azure Damselfly looks very similar to the Common Damselfly, and can only really be differentiated by examination of the markings. It is a fairly common species, and care should be taken when looking at any of the "standard" damselflies.

Related Species:
Order: Odonata
Family: Coenagrionidae
Genus: Coenagrion
SUBSPECIES: C. p. puella, C. p. kocheri

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A common resident species which is seen in Summer

 - Seen in Geddington and various other sites

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas)

OTHER NAMES: Large Redeye
Latin Etymology: Erythromma (?) najas ("snakes")

Adult Red-eyed Damselfly (subspecies E. n. najas) at Wellingborough, Northants - May 2011

Featured Subspecies: Erythromma najas najas
Length: 35mm  /  Wingspan: 50mm
UK Status: Not Evaluated / IUCN Red List: Not Evaluated

Superficially similar to the blue tailed damselfly, as the name suggests, the main distinguishing feature is the red eyes. Care should be taken to carefully differentiate this species from the small red eyed damselfly which differs from it mainly in size and havign a black x mark on the tip of it's tail. I'm not precisely sure how common this species is - I only noticed this was a different species when I was sorting photos at home!

Related Species:
Order: Odonata
Family: Coenagrionidae
Genus: Erythromma 
SUBSPECIES: E. n. najas, E. n. puellare

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A fairly common resident species which is seen in Summer

 - A single individual seen at Summer Leys.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula)

OTHER NAMES: Large Red Damsel
Latin Etymology: Pyrrhosoma (?) nymphula (?)

Adult Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) at Geddington, Northants - June 2010

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Length: 33-36mm  /  Wingspan: 44-48mm
UK Status: Not Evaluated / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Does what it says on the tin - it is the larger of the UKs two red damselflies - and can be recognised by its size and the bronze patch on its back. Relatively common, although not so much as the common blue.

Related Species: 
Order: Odonata
Family: Coenagrionidae
Genus: Pyrrhosoma
SUBSPECIES: None - monotypic

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A fairly common resident species which is seen in Summer

 - Seen in Geddington

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus,  IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Blue-Tailed Damselfly (Ischnura elegans)

OTHER NAMES: Common Bluetip, Common Bluetip
Latin Etymology: Ischnura (?) elegans ("elegant")

Adult Blue-tailed Damselfly (subspecies I. e. elegens) at Geddington, Northants - July 2010

Featured Subspecies: Ischnura elegans elegans
Length: 30mm  /  Wingspan: 40mm
UK Status: Not Evaluated / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Another blue damselfly, this one is more distinctive than most - note the black body and blue band on the tail. The females come in a wide variety of colour forms which may complicate identification.  This is one of the most widespread odonata species in the UK, found in almost every corner of the British Isles other than mountainous areas.

Related Species:
Order: Odonata
Family: Coenagrionidae
Genus: Ischnura
SUBSPECIES: I. e. aurantica, I. e. ebneri, I. e. elegans, I. e. marquardti, I. e. mortoni, I. e. pontica, I. e. rufescens

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A common resident species which is seen in Summer

 - Seen in Geddington and various other sites

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red ListRSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerum)

OTHER NAMES: Northern Blue, Common Blue
Latin Etymology: Enallagma (?) cyathigerum (?)

Adult Common Blue Damselfly (subspecies E. c. cyathigerum) at Geddington, Northants - August 2011

Featured Subspecies: Enallagma cyathigerum cyathigerum
Length: 32-35mm  /  Wingspan: 36-42mm
UK Status: Not Evaluated / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

As the name suggests, this damselfly is both common and blue. It is very similar to the Azure damselfly, but can be differentiated by some subtle differences in markings. It's probably the most common damselfly most people will encounter, and, for that matter, of any sort of dragonfly.

Related Species:
Order: Odonata
Family: Coenagrionidae
Genus: Enallagma
SUBSPECIES: E. c. antiquum, E. c. cyathigerum, E. c. mongolicium, E. c. vernale

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A common resident species which is seen in Summer

 - Seen in Geddington, Wellingborough, Pitsford and various other sites

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List,  RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Cerulean Dancer (Argia anceps)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Argia ("laziness") anceps ("double headed")

Adult Cerulean Dancer (Argia anceps) at Alajuela, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Length: 38-41mm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A species of damselfly found in Central America from Arizona to Panama. It is currently expanding North colonising Arizona to a greater degree.
 
Related Species: 
Order: Odonata
Family: Coenagrionidae
Genus: Argia
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 
 
- Sighting Locations - 

COSTA RICA 
A common resident.
- COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen at Alajuela

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Lemon-tipped Helicopter (Mecistogaster ornata)

OTHER NAMES: Ornate Helicopter 
Latin Etymology: Mecistogaster ("longest belly") ornata ("ornate")

Adult Lemon-tipped Helicopter (Mecistogaster ornata) at Carara National Park, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: Mecistogaster ornata ornata
Length: 77-87cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Among the largest of all damselflies, the yellow tips to its wings make the impression it gives in flgiht as being somewhat chaotic, with in poor light just four yellow spots spinning around in the air being the distinctively visible part of the animal. They breed in water pooled in bromeliads and hunt by grabbing small spiders from their webs.
 
Related Species: 
Order: Odonata
Family: Coenagrionidae
Genus: Mecistogaster
SUBSPECIES: M. o. acutipennis, M. o. ornata
 
- Sighting Locations -

COSTA RICA 
A fairly common resident.
- COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen at Carara National Park

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Vivid Dancer (Argia vivida)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Argia ("laziness") vivida ("vivid")

Adult male Vivid Dancer (Argia vivida) at Berkeley, California - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: g/kg  /  Length: 2.9-3.5cm  /  Wingspan: 4cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern 

A fairly common damselfly of the Western United States, the Vivid Dancer is a species associated with forests. They come in two different colour phases as well as two morphs which gives them a wide variety of appearances - the colour phases are temperature dependent, with them becoming "bright phase" once shade temperature reaches 25°C.

Related Species:
Order: Odonata
Family: Coenagrionidae
Genus: Argia
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Found West of the Rockies
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Berkeley

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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