Species account

Sedgling (Nehalennia speciosa)    (Charpentier, 1840)
   Pond Damselflies (Coenagrionidae) [Dragonflies]    SEDG    24795
Dværgvandnymfe (dk)   Dvärgflickslända (se)  
Synonyms (common):
Pygmy Damselfly (gb)
Synonyms (scientific):
Agrion sophia Selys, 1840
Nehalennia sibirica Belyshev, 1964
Measurements:
To 22-26mm Ab 19-25mm Hw 11-16mm
Generations:
Flight period:
JFMAMJJASOND 
SE
EU
Identification:
Similar species:
Life stages:
After mating the female lays the eggs alone; inserting them into stems just below the surface. They hatch after a few weeks, and the larvae live in-between water plants and develop during 1 or perhaps 2 years - this is not clearly known. The imago-transformation takes place near the water.
Distribution:
Central Europe around the Alps and NE Europe from Germany, Poland, the Baltic states, Belarus and Ukraine and very localized eastward through Russia to Kazakhstan and Japan. Also present Denmark, Sweden and Finland. In Denmark only at Fandens Hul, Teglstrup Hegn, in NE Sjælland.
Habitat:
Behavior:
Endemic:
Status (?):NE: Not evaluated
NA: Not applicable
DD: Data deficient
LC: Least concern
NT: Near threatened
VU: Vulnerable
EN: Endangered
CR: Critically endangered
EW: Extinct in the wild
EX: Extinct
RE: Regionally extinct
VU(global) LC(eu) NT(EU) CR(dk). The only breeding site in Denmark is under pressure from growth and eutrophication. In the 90'es there were thousands here, but now seeing 20 in the season is a good result. The species is expected to die out despite of efforts to restore the locality.
Comment:
Sedgling 2830    (2 photos)
2024-07-06    Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark

Imago Male
Fandens Hul. Young.
With the white wing marks very characteristic for the young animals of this species - and the blue eyes too - and the small triangular mark on S8 indicating the sex.




Sedgling 2833    (1 photos)
2024-07-06    Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark

Imago Male
Fandens Hul. Mature.
With maroon eyes, orange-brownish wing mark telling its a mature and the short wings and small S8-mark making it a male.





Sedgling 2843    (1 photos)
2024-07-06    Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark

Imago Male
Fandens Hul. Mature.
More mature than young with maroon eyes, but wing marks don't look fully colored. The markings on S8-10 are typical for the male.




Sedgling 2837    (1 photos)
2024-07-06    Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark

Imago Male
Fandens Hul. Young.
Classic - with somewhat long wing.





Sedgling 2842    (1 photos)
2024-07-06    Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark

Imago Male
Fandens Hul. Mature.
A well-mature male with maroon eyes and cobbery thorax and abdomen - and solidly pale brown wing marks.




Sedgling 2841    (1 photos)
2024-07-06    Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark

Imago Male
Fandens Hul. Semi-mature.
Eyes and wing marks starting to darken. A male with extremely short wings only reaching midway on S5.




Sedgling 2898    (1 photos)
2024-07-24    Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark

Imago Male
Fandens Hul. Mature.
Four single males seen today plus a single female and two mating wheels tell that they are still active, though rapidly lacking toward to the end of the flying period for this year.




Sedgling 2839    (2 photos)
2024-07-06    Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark

Imago Female
Fandens Hul. Young.
Another young female, but this one with less blue eyes showing that it's getting older...as if some are not..!





Sedgling 2847    (2 photos)
2024-07-06    Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark

Imago Female
Fandens Hul. Mature.
The wing marks are still pale but color is on its way.




Sedgling 2846    (1 photos)
2024-07-06    Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark

Imago Female
Fandens Hul. Mature.
A funny combination with pale wing marks on an otherwise old-looking body.




Sedgling 2845    (2 photos)
2024-07-06    Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark

Imago Female
Fandens Hul. Mature.
An old female where all the paler parts only are showing as shadows of the young colors: the bar between the eyes, the broken shoulder stripe and the markings on top of S8-10. Beautiful!




Sedgling 2844    (1 photos)
2024-07-06    Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark

Imago Female
Fandens Hul. Young.



Sedgling 2840    (1 photos)
2024-07-06    Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark

Imago Female
Fandens Hul. Young.
Typical young female.




Sedgling 2836    (4 photos)
2024-07-06    Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark

Imago Female
Fandens Hul. Young.
They are small and they stay low why it isn't easy to get down to their level, but here I managed to get a photo where the ovipositor shows well, leaving no doubt about the sex - in case someone should be questioning that the S8 mark and long wings can be used for this purpose.





Sedgling 2835    (1 photos)
2024-07-06    Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark

Imago Female
Fandens Hul. Young.




Sedgling 2838    (1 photos)
2024-07-06    Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark

Imago Female
Fandens Hul. Young.
Beautifully showing why the damselflies have developed their eyes as they have.
The pale bluish eye makes it a young and I think the straw colored underside of the abdomen always goes best with a female, and the thickening at the end must be the ovipositor bulging out.





Sedgling 2832    (2 photos)
2024-07-06    Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark

Imago Female
Fandens Hul. Young.
With the white wing marks very characteristic for the young animals of this species - and the blue eyes too - and the large triangular mark on S8 indicating the sex. And with long wings - compared to others.




Sedgling 2831    (1 photos)
2024-07-06    Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark

Imago Female
Fandens Hul. Young.
With the white wing marks very characteristic for the young animals of this species - and the blue eyes too - and the large triangular mark on S8 indicating the sex.




Sedgling 2897    (1 photos)
2024-07-24    Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark

Imago Female
Fandens Hul. Mature.
One of three females seen today; this one being the only one without a mate.




Sedgling 769    (21 photos)
2022-06-18    Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark

Imago Male & Female
Fandens Hul. Lifer.
Different animals. The batch of useful photos from this day.
It took a while to find them being restricted to a short stretch of waterside grasses around the open water. You're looking for a spreadwing-like type, small and with very conspicuous white wing marks (young individuals) and whitish thighs. Depending on the quality of your eyesight, you might have to stick your head well down into the vegetation to spot them!

1: Younger male
2: Younger female
3: Older male
4: Younger male
5: Older male
6: Younger male
7: Younger
8: Likely young female
9: Young female
10: Young female
11: Young female
12: Young female
13: Young male
14: Young female
15-17: Young female
18: Young female
19: Young female
20: Young male
21: Young male




Sedgling 2829    (4 photos)
2024-07-06    Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark

Imago Male & Female
Fandens Hul. Mating wheel.
Happy to find a mating pair (the only one this day). Both animals mature with maroon-colored top of the eyes and the female completely dark brownish colors; even the markings on the last segments are shadowed out.




Sedgling 2899    (5 photos)
2024-07-24    Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark

Imago Male & Female
Fandens Hul. Mating wheel.
One of two mating wheels found today. The female intermediate still with pale wing marks but darkened thorax.




Sedgling 2900    (1 photos)
2024-07-24    Teglstrup Hegn (nordsjælland), Denmark

Imago Male & Female
Fandens Hul. Mating wheel.
One of two mating wheels found today. The female being intermediate still with pale wing marks but dark thorax.