Saphirauge (Erythromma lindenii)
• English name: Blue-Eye
• German name: Saphirauge
• French name: Agrion de Vander Linden
• Dutch name: Kanaaljuffer
• Swedish name: Pokalflickslända
• Norwegian name: N/A
• Finnish name: N/A
• Danish name: Blåøjet vandnymfe
• Italian name: Occhirossi dubbia
• Czech name: šidélko Lindenovo
• Slovenian name: Prodni paškratec
• Bulgarian name: Синьо стреличе
Saphirauge (Erythromma lindenii)
Not present
Present before 1990
Present after 1990
Present before and after 1990
Present after 2015
Map data based on J.-P. Boudot & V. J. Kalkman (eds.),
Atlas of the European Dragonflies and Damselflies
| General | • a small species with strikingly blue eyes which occurs mainly in central and southern Europe | |
| Classification | • suborder: Zygoptera (damselflies); family: Coenagrionidae | |
| Conservation status | • IUCN Red List Europe: Least Concern | |
| Scientific name | • Erythromma lindenii (Selys, 1840) | |
| Distribution | • click or tap the Map button above | |
| Habitat | • well-vegetated lakes, reservoirs and canals | |
| Dimensions | • typical body length: 30-36 mm; hindwing: 19-21 mm | |
| Notes | • males tend to fly low and fast over open water and settle on emergent vegetation | |
| • used to be known as Cercion lindenii | ||
| Both sexes | Head | • the postocular spots are very narrow and may be absent altogether |
| Thorax | • the antehumeral stripe is very wide | |
| ➤ there is a long black line on the metapleural suture (cf. Enallagma cyathigerum ) | ||
| Wings | • the pterostigma is uniformly pale | |
| Male | Head | • the eyes are bright blue |
| Abdomen | • the black marks on S3-S5 are elongated and spear-headed | |
| ➤ S8 is black, S9 and S10 are blue, and the upper appendages are very long and curved inwards | ||
| Female | Head | • the eyes are brown/green |
| Abdomen | ➤ there is no vulvar spine underneath S8 (cf. Enallagma cyathigerum ) | |
| Photographs | • nearly all of our photos below were made in Tuscany |
