33 Damselflies of Europe

The azure damselfly is a species of damselfly found in most of Europe. It is notable for its distinctive black and blue colouring. They are commonly found around ponds and lakesides during the summer.

The banded demoiselle is a species of damselfly belonging to the family Calopterygidae. It is often found along slow-flowing streams and rivers. It is a Eurasian species occurring from the Atlantic coast eastwards to Lake Baikal and northwestern China.

The beautiful demoiselle is a European damselfly belonging to the family Calopterygidae. It is often found along fast-flowing waters where it is most at home.

The blue-tailed damselfly or common bluetail is a damselfly, belonging to the family Coenagrionidae.

Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis is a species of damselfly in the family Calopterygidae known by the common names copper demoiselle and Mediterranean demoiselle.

Chalcolestes parvidens, formerly Lestes parvidens, is a damselfly of the family Lestidae. It has a metallic green body and at rest it holds its wings away from its body. Its common name in English is the eastern willow spreadwing.

Chalcolestes viridis, formerly Lestes viridis, is a damselfly of the family Lestidae. It has a metallic green body and at rest it holds its wings away from its body. Its common name is the willow emerald damselfly or the western willow spreadwing.

Coenagrion hastulatum, the northern damselfly or spearhead bluet, is a damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae.

Coenagrion ornatum, or, the ornate bluet, is a species of damselfly from the family Coenagrionidae distributed across a large part of Europe and Western Asia.

The dainty damselfly, also known as the dainty bluet, is a blue damselfly of the family Coenagrionidae. This is a scarce species found mainly in southern Europe, northern Africa, southwest Asia, and Central America. C. scitulum are Odonata predators that can reach a length of 30–33 mm at maturity and have hind-wing lengths of 15–20 mm. The males and females do exhibit differing features through their colouration making them easily distinguishable. As shown in the photo to the left, segment eight is blue in colour followed by black markings on segment nine, whereas the females are mostly black near the rear with smaller blue markings. Although they are relatively simple to sex, they are easily confused with the common blue damselfly.

Enallagma cyathigerum is a species found mainly between latitudes 40°N and 72°N; It is widely distributed in the Palearctic, and the Nearctic species Enallagma annexum was at one time considered to be synonymous with it. The species can reach a length of 32 to 35 mm. It is common in many different countries including Russia, Europe and South Korea. Damselflies are an important link between the health of the aquatic ecosystem and its response to climate change.

Epallage fatime, the Oriental damselfly, is a damselfly (Zygoptera) from the family of the Euphaeidae.

Erythromma najas, the red-eyed damselfly, is a member of the Coenagrionidae family of damselflies.

The Irish damselfly or crescent bluet is a damselfly found in northern Europe and Asia to north-eastern China;. It is common and widespread in northern Finland, scarce and local in the Netherlands and Ireland and rare elsewhere. One of its English name comes from the fact that it is found in Ireland but not in Britain. The alternative name, crescent bluet, refers to the shape of the markings on segment two of the male and its scientific name.

Ischnura genei, the island bluetail damselfly, is a species of damselfly that replaces the blue-tailed damselfly on some Mediterranean islands. It is a small and slender damselfly that tends to be smaller and daintier than the common bluetail. Its main distinguishing features include a 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. In Malta, this species is still frequent and breeds, but it is endangered by habitat loss.

The Persian damselfly or Dumont’s bluetail is a damselfly, belonging to the family Coenagrionidae.

The Large red damselfly, Pyrrhosoma nymphula, is a species of damselflies belonging to the family Coenagrionidae.

Lestes barbarus is a species of damselfly of the family Lestidae, the spreadwings. Its common names in English include southern emerald damselfly, shy emerald damselfly, and migrant spreadwing.

Lestes dryas is a species of damselfly in the family Lestidae, the spreadwings. Its common names include emerald spreadwing, scarce emerald damselfly and robust spreadwing. An alternate name in Ireland is the turlough spreadwing.

Lestes macrostigma is a species of damselfly of the family Lestidae, the spreadwings. It is known by the common name dark spreadwing. It is native to much of southern Europe, its distribution extending into western Asia.

Lestes sponsa, is a damselfly, with a wide Palaearctic distribution. It is known commonly as the emerald damselfly or common spreadwing. Both males and females have a metallic green colour and when resting its wings are usually half opened.

Lestes virens is a species of damselfly in the family Lestidae, the spreadwings. It is known commonly as the small spreadwing or small emerald spreadwing. It is native to much of Europe and western and central Asia.

Nehalennia speciosa is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. It is found in Austria, Belarus, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, North Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, possibly France, and possibly Kazakhstan. Its natural habitats are swamps, freshwater marshes, and open excavations. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Norfolk damselfly or dark bluet is a species of blue damselfly of the family Coenagrionidae. This species acquired its common name from its discovery in 1903 and presence in a very restricted area of the Norfolk Broads. Records came from Sutton, Stalham, and Hickling Broads.

Platycnemis acutipennis, known as the Orange Featherleg or the Orange White-legged Damselfly, is a species of damselfly in the family Platycnemididae.

The scarce blue-tailed damselfly or small bluetail is a member of the damselfly family Coenagrionidae.

The small red damselfly is a small damselfly flying in heathland bogs and streams. It is in the family Coenagrionidae.

The small red-eyed damselfly is a member of the damselfly family Coenagrionidae. It is very similar to the red-eyed damselfly.

Steleopteon is a genus of extinct winged damselflies whose fossils have been found in modern Germany, and Great Britain, and which lived at the end of the Jurassic and the beginning of the Cretaceous.

Steleopteron deichmuelleri is a species of extinct winged damselfly in the family Steleopteridae, which lived in modern Germany during the Upper Jurassic era.

The variable damselfly or variable bluet is a European damselfly. Despite its name, it is not the only blue damselfly prone to variable patterning.

The western demoiselle or yellow-tailed demoiselle is a species of damselfly belonging to the family Calopterygidae. It replaces the banded demoiselle in southern France and the Iberian Peninsula, and is sometimes considered a subspecies of that species.

The white-legged damselfly or blue featherleg is a damselfly of slow-flowing, muddy waters. It occurs from the Atlantic to Siberia and is often abundant throughout its range.