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Sticker of Azure damselfly
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Azure damselfly

Coenagrion puella

The azure damselfly is a thin, delicate flier that lives around ponds and lakes. The boys are bright sky-blue with black markings, like a tiny blue needle. The girls are mostly black with shiny green. It folds its wings along its back when it rests.

Lives in
Most of Europe, around ponds and lakes
Top speed
about 10 km/h (6.2 mph)
Flying, estimate
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
Harmless. It cannot bite or sting you.
What does it eat?
It catches small flying insects. Its babies live underwater and eat tiny water animals.
For real!Photo of Azure damselfly
Picture by Jรถrg Hempel. CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.

How fast is it?

cool stuff

Fun facts

1

The boy has a black mark shaped like the letter U near the top of his tail.

2

Its baby, called a nymph, lives underwater for one year, or two years in the north.

3

It flies from May to September, and most of all in June and July.

4

Unlike its cousin the common blue damselfly, it rarely flies out over open water. It stays near the plants at the edge.

5

The girl's head and chest glitter green where the boy's are blue.

you asked

Most asked questions about Azure damselfly

?Is the azure damselfly dangerous?

No. Damselflies do not bite or sting people.

?What is the difference between a damselfly and a dragonfly?

Damselflies are thinner and usually fold their wings along their back when resting. Dragonflies keep their wings spread out.

?When can you see azure damselflies?

From May to September, near ponds and lakes, most of all in June and July.

For bug experts

Scientific name
Coenagrion puella
Group
Dragonflies and damselflies
Family
Coenagrionidae
Classification
Insecta > Odonata > Coenagrionidae
Lives on
Europe

Where the facts come from

  1. Azure damselfly (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
  2. Picture by Jรถrg Hempel. CC BY-SA 3.0 de, Wikimedia Commons. The round sticker of this bug is cut from the same picture.

If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

More from the same group: Dragonflies and damselflies

Also at home here: Ponds, rivers and shores