Azure damselfly
Males carry a black mark shaped like the letter U on the second abdominal segment, one of the clearest ways to separate them from similar blue damselflies.
| Where | Ponds, canals and slow ditches |
|---|---|
| Size | 33 to 35 mm body length |
| When | May to August |
Male Azure damselflies are sky blue with black markings, including a black U shape on the second abdominal segment and a bowtie-shaped mark near the tip of the abdomen. Females are mostly black with green or blue rings and lack the male's bright coloring.
Adults fly low among waterside vegetation at ponds, canals and slow ditches. Pairs form a mating wheel before females lay their eggs into submerged plant stems below the surface.
Traits
Habitat
Wetland
Colour
Blue, Black
Active
Day
To people
Common at ponds and slow water; it does not bite or sting people.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Very similar in size at about 34 to 38 mm body length, but its black U mark on segment two joins the black band behind it, unlike the separated U of the Azure damselfly.
Questions
Is the Azure damselfly dangerous to people?
Common at ponds and slow water; it does not bite or sting people.
When can you see the Azure damselfly?
The Azure damselfly can be seen from May to August, by day.
Plate retouched from a museum specimen photo by Natural History Museum, CC0, GBIF Licence
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Dragonflies and damselflies›Narrow-winged damselflies›Coenagrion
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.