Gaffelflickslända
(Coenagrion scitulum)

The Dainty Bluet is one of a trio of very similar-looking Mediterranean species of the genus Coenagrion, the other two being C. caerulescens and C. mercuriale. Coenagrion scitulum is a small, black-and-blue damselfly which is fairly widely distributed throughout Iberia and France and has scattered populations in Italy, the Balkans and Greece. But given its first-time-ever observation in the South of the Netherlands in 2003, the species may well be extending its range northwards from its Mediterranean home. Its main distinguishing features include the pale pterostigma, a preference for stagnant rather than running waters, and the thin black dorsal line on the female's S8. For a comparison of the male appendages in these three species, hover your mouse pointer here.

For an overview of the Dainty 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).

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