Coenagrion scitulum
• English name: Dainty Bluet
• German name: Gabel-Azurjungfer
• French name: Agrion mignon
• Dutch name: Gaffelwaterjuffer
• Swedish name: Gaffelflickslända
• Norwegian name: N/A
• Finnish name: N/A
• Danish name: N/A
• Italian name: Azzurrina delicata
• Czech name: šidélko huňaté
• Slovenian name: Povodni škratec
• Bulgarian name: Малко пъстриче
Coenagrion scitulum
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 which occurs mainly in southern Europe, but which has been extending its range northwards | |
Classification | • suborder: Zygoptera (damselflies); family: Coenagrionidae | |
Conservation status | • IUCN Red List Europe: Least Concern | |
Scientific name | • Coenagrion scitulum (Rambur, 1842) | |
Distribution | • click or tap the Map button above | |
Habitat | ➤ well-vegetated ponds and lakes; prefers still to running waters (unlike e.g. C. caerulescens, C. mercuriale and C. ornatum) | |
Dimensions | • typical body length: 30-33 mm; hindwing: 14-20 mm | |
Both sexes | Thorax | • compared to the similar C. caerulescens the black line on the interpleural suture tends to be much thicker, longer and more clearly visible |
Wings | • the pterostigma is uniformly pale golden brown | |
Male | Abdomen | • the black mark on S2 resembles a chalice |
➤ for a comparison of the male's appendages with those of C. caerulescens and C. mercuriale, click or tap here | ||
Female | Head | • the underside of the eye is yellow-green |
• the postocular spot is pear-shaped, without a ragged hind margin | ||
Thorax | • the hind margin of the pronotum has a small lobe in the middle; see also the LineDrawing below | |
Abdomen | • the top of the abdomen is mostly black, but with extensive sky-blue spots on the segment borders (which may be especially noticeable on S8) | |
Photographs | • most of our photos below were made in Tuscany |
LineDrawing: the female's pronotum in dorsal and lateral view.