Species: Beautiful demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo)
Family: Broad-winged damselflies (CALOPTERYGIDAE)
Category: Insects (Other)
Location: SW
A. Insects (Other)
More extensive information on insects can be found in a separate blog post.
B. Broad-winged damselflies (CALOPTERYGIDAE)
Broad-winged damselflies, a sub-family of damselflies, are often called demoiselles. They are usually slightly larger than the Narrow-winged damselfly family. This family has members that usually have metallic-coloured wings that also have a broader connection to the body than is the case in other damselfly families.
The Calopterygidae are found globally, although not in Antarctica.
There are perhaps 150 species in this family. All prefer living near streams and rivers.
C. Beautiful demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo)
The Beautiful Demoiselle is easily mistaken for a butterfly, with its fluttering flight pattern. But it is a damselfly, one of the largest found in Britain, even though its length is a mere 4.5 centimetres.
It flies between May and August and can be seen alongside rivers and streams. Why one has been seen in Heene Cemetery, which has no large body of water, is not clear!
Males of this species are metallic blue, whereas females have brown wings and green bodies. Once hatched from the egg and having completed its underwater larval development of 10 to 12 stages, adults of this species live on the wing for between 40 and 50 days.
Images
Beautiful demoiselle
Males of this species are metallic blue, whereas females have brown wings and green bodies. This photograph shows a male Beautiful Demoiselle.
