Cretan Bluet
(Coenagrion intermedium)

The Cretan Bluet (Coenagrion intermedium) is endemic to the island of Crete, where it replaces the Azure and Variable Bluets (Coenagrion puella and C. pulchellum respectively). It is most similar to the Azure Bluet with only a few minor structural differences, e.g. in the shape of the male's appendages and of the female's pronotum (which, incidentally, is intermediate between puella and pulchellum, hence the species' scientific name). During a recent field trip to the island we saw the Cretan Bluet at a variety of streams and rivers where it was flying in numbers of up to 50 or so individuals. The species is reportedly confined to running water.

For an overview of the Cretan Bluet's distribution in Europe, hover your mouse pointer over the map symbol .
With the authors' permission we have based this map on data published in Kalkman et al. (2010).
Legend: Red = Occurs, White = Doesn't occur; Purple = Extinct; Yellow = Vagrant.

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