Stats

Lifespan: 1-2 yrs
Size: Medium
Diet: Insectivore
Activity: Diurnal
Social: Solitary
Biome: Freshwater wetland
Range: Europe
Movement: Flight
Breeding: Egg-laying
Defense: Camouflage
Status: Common

About

A slender damselfly found across Europe and Asia, named for the male's vivid blue-tipped abdomen segment. Females are strikingly polymorphic — they occur in at least five distinct colour forms ranging from violet to olive-green to brown.

Life cycle

1.
egg
A small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
2.
juvenile
An immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
3.
subadult
A near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
4.
adult
Fully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Family: Coenagrionidae
Genus: Ischnura
Species: Ischnura elegans