01. Banded Demoiselle – Calopteryx splendens – UK European Dragonfly Photo

The Banded Demoiselle is common throughout Northern Europe and can be found on well oxygenated streams and rivers containing water plants such as Water Crowfoot (Ranunculus fluitans). The River Dane near Holmes Chapel in Cheshire UK is typical habitat. The photo below is of a male English C. splendens splendens ‘wing-flashing’ in display.  I liked how the male in the first photograph above is perched on top of the seeded grass stem as this gives some indication of the size of the U.K’s largest damselfly. The extent of the dark band varies and shows a greater extension towards the wing tip on the photo below the habitat. This was taken in the Camargue in France. The sub species C.splendens amasina occurs in Turkey and the Watermill Duct habitat in the Golgeli Mountains shows where the photos of  the male and female C.s.amasina were taken. The totally blue wings on the male of this sub species are distinctive.

KEY I/D FEATURES :

Males have metallic blue bodies with a blue band across each wing. The ‘tail-light’ on the underside of Segments 8 – 10 varies from yellow to off-white when it can be seen. The sub species C.s.amasina male photographed in Turkey has fully blue wings.

Females have metallic green bodies, clear green tinted (not brown tinted) wings and a white pseudopterostigma. The female C.s.amasina in Turkey has a wing band but with the pale pseudopterostigma.