Calopteryx exul

Calopteryx exul (glittering demoiselle) is an endangered species of damselfly in the family Calopterygidae. It is found in Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. The largest populations found were located in Northeast Algeria[1]. Its natural habitat is along rivers that have fast flowing water, which are threatened by pollution.

Glittering demoiselle
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Odonata
Family:
Calopterygidae
Genus:
Calopteryx
Species:
C. exul
Binomial name
Calopteryx exul
Sélys, 1853

This is a large damselfly with a total length of up to 50 mm. Unlike most other Calopteryx damselflies, the wings are unbanded in both sexes although the male has metallic venation that produce a distinctive blue flash on each wing beat when the insect is flying in the sun. The males in this species tend to be territorial and when the females lay their eggs in patches of plants the males guard the plants. This species is known for having a partial bivoltine life cycle[2].

References
  1. Mellal, Mohamed; Bensouilah, Mourad (11 September 2018). "Reproductive habitat provisioning promotes survival and reproduction of the endangered endemic damselfly Calopteryx exul". J Insect Conserv. 22 (3–4): 563–570. doi:10.1007/s10841-018-0085-5.
  2. Khelifa, Rassim (11 July 2016). "Partial bivoltinism and emergence patterns in the North African endemic damselfly Calopteryx exul: conservation implications". African Journal of Ecology. 55 (2): 145–151. doi:10.1111/aje.12332.
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