|Coenagrion is a genus of damselfly
in family Coenagrionidae, commonly called the Eurasian Bluets (although
three species are found in North America, C. angulatum, C. interrogatum,
and C. resolutum).
Coenagrion scitulum (Rambur, 1842),
the Dainty Damselfly, is a blue damselfly of the family Coenagrionidae.
Length around 32mm, it is a small, black-and-blue damselfly. Both sexes
appear yellowish when viewed from the underside. The pale brown pterostigma
is longer than in other Coenagrion species. In the male, S2 has a "wine-goblet"
shaped mark, occasionally reduced to a bar or crescent. S8 is blue but
S9 has black markings towards the rear. S6 and S7 are entirely black. The
female is blue with black "rocket-shaped" markings on the abdomen. 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.
This species is easily confused with
the other members of the genus Coenagrion and with the Common Blue Damselfly
(Enallagma cyathigerum). Look at S2 (on the males) for distinguishing characters.
The females can be particularly tricky to distinguish apart.
Coenagrion scitulum habitat in open
but well-vegetated waters. It can tolerate some salinity.
The species 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. The species can be found
also northern Africa and southwest Asia.