Iberian bluetail

Ischnura graellsii

The Iberian Bluetail largely replaces the Common Bluetail in Iberia, although the two species do coexist and hybridisation is known to occur.
Ischnura graellsii Female Ischnura graellsii f. aurantiaca Iberian bluetail,Ischnura graellsii,arthropoda,biodiversity,coenagrionidae,damselfies,damselfly,greatnature,insecta,insects,odonata,zygoptera

Appearance

It's a small and slender damselfly which tends to be a bit smaller and daintier than the Common Bluetail. More important - for identification purposes - is the differently-shaped pronotum in the male, which in I. graellsii lacks an upright front edge. Other distinguishing features include the black abdomen, which in males carries a striking blue tail-light on S8. Some female colour forms too have a blue tail-light on S8 but it tends to be interrupted by a black mark on either end. In some other female colour forms S8 is rusty brown. The male's pterostigma is bi-coloured (as it is in Ischnura elegans). Some of the female colour forms are illustrated in our photographs below.
First flight Immature female Ischnura graellsii after the first flight :) This immature was amongst the nearby water vegetation freshly emerged, when it was disturbed by a by photographer ;o) This was the first place where she looked the surroundings. Damsel's immature wings are pearl crystal marble. Iberian bluetail,Ischnura graellsii,Ischnurinae,arthropoda,biodiversity,coenagrionidae,damselfly,insects,odonata,zygoptera

Naming

Common Name(s):
French – Agrion de Graells, L’agrion De Graells
Ischnura graellsii f. aurantica Ischnura graellsii, female f. aurantica. Iberian bluetail,Ischnura graellsii,Ischnurinae,arthropoda,biodiversity,coenagrionidae,damselfly,insects,ischnura graellsii f. aurantica,odonata,zygoptera

Distribution

Algeria; France; Morocco; Portugal; Spain; Tunisia
Ischnura graellsii Ischnura graellsii, immature male Iberian bluetail,Ischnura graellsii,biodiversity,coenagrionidae,damselflies,damselfly,odonata,zygoptera

Status

Ischnura graellsii is widespread and abundant within the western Mediterranean.
Ischnura graellsii Ischnura graellsii, adult male. https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ischnura_graellsii http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=214284 Iberian bluetail,Ischnura graellsii,Ischnurinae,arthropoda,biodiversity,coenagrionidae,damselfly,insects,odonata,zygoptera

Habitat

The species is found around all types of running and standing waters.

References:

Some text fragments are auto parsed from Wikipedia.


http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/158711/0
Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderOdonata
FamilyCoenagrionidae
GenusIschnura
SpeciesIschnura graellsii
Photographed in
Portugal