Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans

Blue-tailed Damselflies in heart-shaped wheel
Blue-tailed Damselfly male
The Blue-tailed damselfly occurs in most of the UK and, unlike most other damselflies, will tolerate polluted or brakish waters. The blue male, shown above coupled with the brown female has blue eyes, a blue or turquoise and black thorax and a mainly black topside abdomen with a bright blue segment near the end (not as far down as the related Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly).
Blue-tailed Damselfly
Blue-tailed Damselfly pair infuscans
Blue-tailed Damselfly pair infuscans-obsoleta
The female has several colour forms for the thorax and the "tail" segment in the immature phase. On maturity the "typica" form is blue like the male and the "infuscans" form (above centre) has an olive green thorax and brown tail spot; there is also an "infuscans-obseleta" form (above right) which has a light brown thorax and tail spot.
Blue-tailed Damselfly violet
Blue-tailed Damselfly violacea
Violet ("violacea") form
Blue-tailed Damselfly
Blue adult male
Blue-tailed Damselfly green form
Blue-tailed Damselfly green form
Blue-tailed Damselfly female green
Green forms
Blue-tailed Damselfly female green
Blue-tailed Damselfly female green
Blue-tailed Damselfly green
More green forms with blue tail spot
Blue-tailed Damselfly female orange
Blue-tailed Damselfly female pink
Blue-tailed Damselfly female pink
Orange/pink forms
Blue-tailed Damselfly female pink
Blue-tailed Damselfly female pink
Blue-tailed Damselfly female pink
Orange/pink forms with blue tail spot ("rufescens")