Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella

Azure Damselfly
Azure Damselflies in wheel
The Azure damselfly occurs in much of the UK and Europe except the far north of each. The blue male, shown above coupled with the female, is less blue than the similar Common Blue Damselfly. On the second segment of the abdomen, he has a distinctive black, rectangular, horseshoe shape, followed by, but separate from, a thin black ring.
Azure Damselfly male Azure male
Azure Damselfly female Yellow form of the female
Azure Damselflies coupled Coupled in mating wheel
Azure Damselfly
Azure Damselfly
Azure Damselfly
Male and green female in tandem, he leading and protecting her as she deposits her eggs ("ovipositing") on the underside of aquatic plant leaves.
Azure Damselflies in tandem Ovipositing
Azure Damselflies ovipositing Azures sometimes have a mass, communal oviposit
Azure Damselfly male The male Common Blue has one black stripe on the side of the thorax; the Azure has a wider one and an additional, thinner one.