Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Dragonflies & Damselflies Page 14

Image Taken on 17 Jun 2017 at 08:35 Image of day on 12 Aug 2017

The female Common Blue damselfly comes in both a single 'Blue' form and in two 'Drab' forms that gradually change with maturity. This is the drab form of the mature female Common Blue damselfly.

Ref: 20170812_df3_20170617_0835_078 common blue damselfly female mature drab form on hop sedge leaf(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 08 Aug 2019 at 10:55 Image of day on 29 Sep 2019

This Common Blue Damselfly is sucking the juices from some sort of Midge that she has just caught. In the insert you can see the legs of the prey below the damselfly's eyes.

Ref: 20190929_df3_20190808_1055_009 common blue damselfly female perched to eat prey insect (crop + detail insert)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 23 Jun 2026 at 09:51 Image of day on 08 Aug 2026

At last we are starting to see Damselflies in more respectable numbers. These are small insects about 33mm long (1.3 inches) and very slender. If they keep still they blend wonderfully with the vegetation. At the moment they are all Common Blue Damselflies, but Odonata vary in colour with age, and abdominal marking with sex. Further, Common Blue females comes in three different colour variations.

Ref: 20260808_r80_20260623_0951_045 common blue damselfly male(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 09 Jun 2025 at 09:49 Image of day on 27 Jul 2025

This male Common Blue Damselfly basks in the morning sun. These Damselflies are the typical size for Damselflies at about 30mm long.

Ref: 20250727_r70_20250609_0949_004 common blue damselfly male(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 01 Jul 2022 at 15:50 Image of day on 20 Aug 2022

A male Common Blue Damselfly delicately perches on a dead grass stem. In recent years Azure Damselflies dominated the Damselfly population, but this year it is about 50-50 Common and Azure.

Ref: 20220820_df3_20220701_1550_053 common blue damselfly male(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 31 Jul 2017 at 10:58 Image of day on 15 Sep 2017

On warm parts of days we get to see several Common Blue Damselflies in among the taller plants in the meadow. This is a mature male.

Ref: 20170915_df3_20170731_1058_009 common blue damselfly male(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 24 May 2020 at 10:03 Image of day on 23 Jun 2020

A male common blue Damselfly warming himself in the sunshine.

Ref: 20200623_df3_20200524_1003_022 common blue damselfly male (1st of 2020)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 05 Jul 2019 at 14:11 Image of day on 25 Aug 2019

A male Common Blue Damselfly sunning himself on a grass stem. The 'Blue' is that of a mature male. Really almost Cyan.

Ref: 20190825_df3_20190705_1411_034 common blue damselfly male horizontal perched on sloping grass stem(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 06 Jul 2013 at 15:05 Image of day on 23 Aug 2013

This 3 cm long male Common Blue Damselfly is photographed soon after emergence from a nearby pond. It will change colour as it matures.

Ref: 20130823_df1_20130706_1505_129 common blue damselfly male imm (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 23 Jun 2026 at 09:55 Image of day on 09 Aug 2026

A male Common Damselfly, but this time a young one showing the typical colouration of the immature

Ref: 20260809_r80_20260623_0955_073 common blue damselfly male immature(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 30 May 2026 at 13:56 Image of day on 14 Jul 2026

An immature male Common Blue Damselfly perched on a grass stem.

Ref: 20260714_r52_20260530_1356_088 common blue damselfly male immature(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 28 May 2026 at 15:47 Image of day on 08 Jul 2026

Our first Common Blue Damselfly for 2026, dwarfed by the bramble stem,

Ref: 20260708_r52_20260528_1547_007 common blue damselfly male immature(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 07 Jul 2022 at 18:14 Image of day on 20 Aug 2022

Damselflies go through several appearances after emergence from 'teneral' (newly emerged) to 'over-mature', each species following it's pattern and timescale. This one is a male Common Blue Damselfly but yet to develop the blue colour along the middle abdominal segments.

Ref: 20220820_d72_20220707_1814_066 common blue damselfly male immature not yet developed blue colouring(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 23 Jul 2019 at 16:08 Image of day on 11 Sep 2019

This immature male Common Blue Damselfly has chosen to perch on the shaded side of a blackberry cluster. A heat-wave has produced an air temperature of about 36c and the insect does not need to warm itself in the blazing sun.

Ref: 20190911_d72_20190723_1608_009 common blue damselfly male immature perched on blackberry fruit staying in shade(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 23 Jul 2019 at 16:09 Image of day on 11 Sep 2019

This immature male Common Blue Damselfly has chosen to perch on the shaded side of a blackberry stem. A heat-wave has produced an air temperature of about 36c and the insect does not need to warm itself in the blazing sun.

Ref: 20190911_d72_20190723_1609_015 common blue damselfly male immature perched on blackberry stem staying in shade(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 24 Jun 2026 at 14:34 Image of day on 09 Aug 2026

This male Common Blue Damselflies caught in flight

Ref: 20260809_r80_20260624_1434_123 common blue damselfly male in flight(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 28 Jun 2012 at 17:35 Image of day on 07 Aug 2012

Dragonfly species change dramatically during their lives - you really need a whole book on the subject to work out what is what. Despite the colour this is a young male Common Blue damselfly. You don't need a book to enjoy them though!

Ref: 20120807_df1_20120628_1735_051 common blue damselfly male juvenile (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 24 Jun 2026 at 14:38 Image of day on 09 Aug 2026

Running this camera at 20 fps caught this male Common Blue Damselfly leave his perch only to fly back to perch only a few millimetres away.

Ref: 20260809_r80_20260624_1438_132+148+158 common blue damselfly male launches from stem landing closeby @20fps 01+06+16 of 19 (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 28 May 2026 at 17:51 Image of day on 08 Jul 2026

Another Common Blue Damselfly - this time a mature male

Ref: 20260708_r52_20260528_1751_015 common blue damselfly male mature(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 03 Jun 2018 at 12:52 Image of day on 17 Jul 2018

A male Common Blue Damselfly warming in the sun will soon be off looking for a girl! Unlike the females, the males have just this one form.

Ref: 20180717_df3_20180603_1252_003 common blue damselfly male mature(r+mb id@768).jpg

Backwards

Forwards

Comments and requests for image use

To make a comment, ask for information or to request a full resolution image, send us an email including the reference or the date for the image you are interested in.

All initial contacts should be made using the icon below:-