Species account

Common Bluetail (Ischnura elegans)    (Vander Linden, 1820)
   Pond Damselflies (Coenagrionidae) [Dragonflies]    COBL    24794
Stor Farvevandnymfe (dk)   Agrion Elegante (es)   Större Kustflickslända (se)  
Synonyms (common):
Blue-tailed Damselfly (gb) Common Bluetip (gb) European Bluetail (us) Mangefarvet Vandnymfe (dk)
Synonyms (scientific):
Agrion pupilla Hansemann, 1823
Agrion tuberculatum Charpentier, 1825
Agrion ezonatum Stephens, 1835
Agrion rufescens Stephens, 1835
Agrion aglae Fonscolombe, 1838
Agrion rubens Evans, 1845
Agrion excelsa Rostock, 1885
Agrion magna Rostock, 1885
Ischnura lamellata Kolbe, 1885
Ischnura ordosi Bartenev, 1912
Ischnura elegans ebneri Schmidt, 1938
Ischnura elegans marquardti Schmidt, 1938
Ischnura elegans mortoni Schmidt, 1938
Ischnura elegans pontica Schmidt, 1938
Ischnura elegans malikovae Onishko & Kosterin, 2022
Measurements:
To 30-34mm Ab 22-29mm Hw 14-21mm
Generations:
2-3 generations in southern Europe; 1 in Denmark and rest of northern Europe.
Flight period:
JFMAMJJASOND 
SE
EU
Identification:
Females (5 forms):
Violacea (young) -> typica or infuscans (mature)
Rufescens (young) -> rufescens-obsoleta (mature)
Similar species:
Life stages:
Mating takes place in shore vegetation and lasts from 2-6 hours! The lone female inserts the eggs into stems of various water plants, at or above the surface. Dead plant material is used too. The eggs hatch after 2-4 weeks and the larvae live in-between water plants and develop during 1-2 years in northern Europe, but in same season or 1 year in southern Europe. The imago-transformation takes place on vegetation near or in the water.
Distribution:
Most of Europe; absent Portugal, SW Spain, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily and northern Fennoscandinavia. Also present Turkey and scattered through Russia, Caucasus and the central Asian republics to Korean peninsula and Japan.
Habitat:
Behavior:
Preys on items its own size or bigger, as I've seen it attack and eat (partly) a Common Bluet [Almindelig Vandnymfe].
Host plants:
Vandaks (Potamogeton)
Vandpest (Elodea)
Tusindblad (Myriophyllum)
Strandkogleaks (Scirpus maritimus)
Siv (Juncus sp.)
Kogleaks (Scirpus sp.)
Endemic:
Comment:
Dijkstra and Schröter mentions the green males as immature. But I have photos of mating males that are green, why it is misleading to combine color and maturity when describing the species.
Common Bluetail 661    (2 photos)
2022-05-16    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Male
Hejresøen. Immature.



Common Bluetail 1184    (1 photos)
2022-06-04    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Male




Common Bluetail 1185    (1 photos)
2022-06-04    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Male




Common Bluetail 1183    (1 photos)
2022-06-21    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Male
Teneral.



Common Bluetail 1054    (2 photos)
2022-08-06    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Male
Sydmølletværvej.
The well-defined two-colored wingmark is an indication of a male. Many animals present.
Common Bluetail 1063    (1 photos)
2022-08-06    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Male
Sydmølletværvej.
The short spike on the back of the neck is typical of the male of this species.



Common Bluetail 1126    (1 photos)
2022-08-17    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Male




Common Bluetail 1708    (1 photos)
2023-06-29    Vinkelhuse (tårnby), Denmark

Imago Male
What a weird experience, to find this male in the living room window. I have absolutely no idea where it came from. We don't live near any suited localities, why it must have been straying. I released it at a small pond in Travbaneparken, a good kilometer away, where the species breeds.



Common Bluetail 2121    (2 photos)
2023-08-03    Hovedgård, Denmark

Imago Male
Fruens Have-vandhullet.
With wiped-out blue on top of S8. I don't think I've seen this before.

Aberrant
Common Bluetail 2379    (1 photos)
2023-09-14    Travbaneparken, Denmark

Imago Male
Det lille Regnvandsbassin.
One of two males present today. Hopefully connecting with female 2378.



Common Bluetail 2814    (1 photos)
2024-05-27    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Male
Sydmøllevej. Young.
Besides the color, a male because of the protruding center block on the pronotum. The wing marks will eventually become clearer two-colored.



Common Bluetail 2800    (15 photos)
2024-06-21    Travbaneparken, Denmark

Imago Male
Plejehjemsdammen.
Seeking out nature is often a destressing recipe when the human world becomes too unhuman. I go there all the time. Find peace and balance and meaning with it all. But then once in a while, the illusion is shattered, and nature shows its true face. Each species preying on the other. The flow of life through the physical world follows the strict order of eat and be eaten.

Why this unfortunate bluet was chosen as prey for this male Common Bluetail (Ischnura elegans) [Stor Farvevandnymfe] I can't say. I just noticed a rare snappy movement low in front of me, and then saw the two interacting. The bluetail calmly and methodologically advanced changing its grip from the wing and the thorax to finally getting a good bite at the base of the abdomen. It's difficult to see the small jaws working in real life, so for a while I just saw the two motionless in the same position. But then suddenly it snapped! The abdomen was cut off from the rest of the bluet's body and it was doomed for certain. Bizarrely it kept moving its legs after having lost the rear part; as if it wanted nothing more than escaping, but the bluetail was still holding on to the wings, and it had nothing to do other than to resign and wait for the Great Departure!



Common Bluetail 3134    (2 photos)
2025-05-02    Amager Fælled, Denmark

Imago Male
Den landskabelige kanal - vest.
Young. Same brownish coloring on the thorax as 3133 probably means it is part of the normal maturing process.



Common Bluetail 3133    (2 photos)
2025-05-02    Amager Fælled, Denmark

Imago Male
Den landskabelige kanal - vest.
Young. Same brownish coloring on the thorax as 3134 probably means it is part of the normal maturing process.



Common Bluetail 1195    (1 photos)
2022-06-21    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Female
Enghøj sø. Teneral.
Young individuals can be tricky and here the broad antehumeral stripe might create confusion implying a Common Bluet (E. cyathigerum) but the round eyespots are against this as well as the uniformly blackish top of the abdomen segments. Color only on top of S8 also is best for elegans.



Common Bluetail 1064    (1 photos)
2022-08-06    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Female
Sydmølletværvej. Female of form: Rufescens.



Common Bluetail 1058    (1 photos)
2022-08-06    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Female
Sydmølletværvej. Form: Violacea.



Common Bluetail 1062    (1 photos)
2022-08-06    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Female
Sydmølletværvej. Form: Violacea.
Common Bluetail 1061    (1 photos)
2022-08-06    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Female
Sydmølletværvej. Female of form: Rufescens
Common Bluetail 1059    (1 photos)
2022-08-06    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Female
Sydmølletværvej. Form: Rufescens.



Common Bluetail 1057    (1 photos)
2022-08-06    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Female
Sydmølletværvej. Form: Rufescens



Common Bluetail 1056    (2 photos)
2022-08-06    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Female
Sydmølletværvej. Forms: Typica (the upper animal), Rufescens (lower animal).
Common Bluetail 1055    (1 photos)
2022-08-06    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Female
Sydmølletværvej. Form: Violacea.



Common Bluetail 1130    (1 photos)
2022-08-17    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Female
Form: Violacea.
A pale female compared to others.



Common Bluetail 1131    (2 photos)
2022-08-17    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Female
Form: Rufescens?
It is a female, the ovipositor just showing in photo 2. But is it then a teneral rufescens and not a rufescens-obseleta because it shows signal marking on top of S8?



Common Bluetail 1127    (1 photos)
2022-08-17    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Female
Form: Violacea.



Common Bluetail 1123    (1 photos)
2022-08-17    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Female
Form Rufescens-Obsoleta.
I assume it is this form, with brownish pale thorax and no signal markings on S8-9. My first. I also expect some variation in amount of signal color. At least comparing with the one in Nordens Trollsländor, mine shows more than the one depicted in the book.



Common Bluetail 2378    (3 photos)
2023-09-14    Travbaneparken, Denmark

Imago Female
Det lille Regnvandsbassin. Form: Rufescens-Obsoleta.

My first female at these ponds, and in general of this form as well (the only one without obvious signal light on S8).



Common Bluetail 2815    (1 photos)
2024-05-27    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Female
Sydmøllevej. Young form rufescens in transition to mature form rufscens-obsoleta.

The thorax will eventually become even more dusty green.



Common Bluetail 2816    (1 photos)
2024-05-27    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Female
Sydmøllevej. Mature female of form infuscans.
The thorax will eventually become even more dusty green.



Common Bluetail 2958    (3 photos)
2024-08-01    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Female
Barbarus-vandhullet ved Birkedammen. Young or unusual form of rufescens?

Normally the young rufescens shows a pinkish color cast to the orange on the thorax, but this one looks purer orange to me, resembling the young pumilio [Lille Farvevandnymfe] female, form aurantica, why I at first took it as a such. But eye-pattern and the color on top of S8 are proof that this is an elegans, as is the dark shoulder stripe below the orange shoulder stripe that is broader than on a similar pumilio. I don't recall having seen a similar animal elsewhere.
Common Bluetail 1180    (1 photos)
2022-06-04    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Male & Female
Tandem.



Common Bluetail 1181    (2 photos)
2022-06-04    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Male & Female
Mating wheel.



Common Bluetail 1060    (1 photos)
2022-08-06    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Male & Female
Sydmølletværvej. Female of form: Typica
Mating.



Common Bluetail 1079    (1 photos)
2022-08-11    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Male & Female
Enghøj lake. Mating wheel. Female form: Typica.
They are at it right now. Good numbers in suited habitats.



Common Bluetail 1124    (1 photos)
2022-08-17    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Male & Female
Mating wheel. Female of form Infuscans.



Common Bluetail 1125    (1 photos)
2022-08-17    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Male & Female
Mating wheel. Female of form Rufescens.



Common Bluetail 1128    (1 photos)
2022-08-17    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Male & Female
Mating wheel. Female of form: infuscans.
If only seeing the color of the female, I would have thought it to be a male, with the exact same coloration.



Common Bluetail 1129    (1 photos)
2022-08-17    Kalvebod Fælled, Denmark

Imago Male & Female
Younger female of form: Violacea.



Common Bluetail 3330    (1 photos)
2025-08-05    Lergravene (St. Magleby), Denmark

Imago Male & Female
Mating wheel. Open photo to see the full pair.



Common Bluetail 3184    (13 photos)
2025-05-21    Travbaneparken, Denmark

Exuvia
Different animals. Store regnvandsbassin.
The pointed shape of the lamellae is good for this species, and not shown by any of the bluets that breed here too. Small Bluetail (I. pumilio) has them even more pointed at the end. The extensive net of fine veins in the lamella is characteristic of this species. There were several exuvias during these days corresponding well with the presence of adults at the same time.

In photo 9, the two short spikes with a notch between them inside the yellow circle reflect the genital plate of the male below on S9. In photo 10 the same goes for the female showing two parallel structures covering S9 and half of S10.

Notice that the animals all have their heads downward in photo 13, but upward in photos 12.

Exuvia