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Species account
Beautiful Demoiselle
(Calopteryx virgo)
Linnaeus (1758)
Demoiselles (Calopterygidae)
BEDE
24781
Blåvinget Pragtvandnymfe (dk)
Gaitero Añil (es)
Blå Jungfruslända (se)
Measurements:
To 45-49mm Ab 31-42mm Hw 24(29)-36mm
Flight period:
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| EU | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Identification:
Similar species:
Life stages:
After an initial mating ritual the mating act takes place near the water and lasts a few minutes. The solo female then inserts the eggs into submerged plant material. The eggs hatch after few weeks. The larvae live in-between water plants and develop over 2-3 years. The imago transformation takes place near the water on plants, up to a meter above the ground.
Distribution:
Most of Europe eastward through Russia to the Ural Mountains. Also patchily Turkey and Iran. Very local NW Africa. In Denmark mostly present in S Jylland and on Bornholm.
Habitat:
Behavior:
Male guards over female while egg-laying.
Status:
LC(global)
LC(eu) LC(dk). In Denmark not common but widespread in southern part of Jylland. Also Bornholm. Rare elsewhere. Many observations in naturbasen.dk away from Jylland and Bornholm are very likely erroneous. Rather common and widespread in Sweden and Finland, less so in Norway.
Host plants:
Vandpest (Elodea)
Vandranunkel (Batrachium)
Pindsvineknop (Sparganium)
Vandranunkel (Batrachium)
Pindsvineknop (Sparganium)
Comment:
Measurements (taken from Dijkstra and Schröter 2 edition) seem to be off!
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963
(4 photos)
2022-07-12 Ronneby-area (Blekinge), Sweden Imago ♂ Splendid creature! Here seen perched on firs several hundred meters from the nearest water source - something both species do occasionally. |
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1723
(1 photos)
2023-07-08 Jenskær (Silkeborg), Denmark Imago ♂ This new Danish species probably didn't receive the attention it deserved, being such so beautiful as it is . But I was more focused on the other two new Danish species present at this spot... Notice the slight paleness, transparency, near the wingtip. Not sure if it is related to population or individual variation. |
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964
(2 photos)
2022-07-12 Ronneby-area (Blekinge), Sweden Imago ♀ Both Beautiful and Banded can be seen here. And both species can be seen away from water roosting in forest trees like here. |
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1554
(1 photos)
2023-06-07 Valdemarsvik (Östergötland), Sweden Imago ♀ We only had few of the species, and again along forest roads and clearings. |
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1722
(1 photos)
2023-07-08 Jenskær (Silkeborg), Denmark Imago ♀ |