Small red damselfly

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

Small red damselfly
Male
Female, form melanogastrum
both at Crockford Stream, New Forest
Hampshire, UK

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Suborder: Zygoptera
Family: Coenagrionidae
Genus: Ceriagrion
Species:
C. tenellum
Binomial name
Ceriagrion tenellum
(De Villers, 1789)

Identification

Ceriagrion tenellum is only 25–35 millimetres (0.98–1.38 in) long. It is a lot shorter than the large red damselfly, with which it is sometimes confused. In both sexes the thorax is bronze-black on top.

The male has an entirely red abdomen.

The female has a bronze-black abdomen with only the front and back of it red. The dark form melanogastrum has an almost entirely dark abdomen marked with pale segment divisors, the last two of which are reddish. A very rare form, erythrogastrum, resembles the male.

  • immature male
  • male
    dorsal view
  • female
    form melanogastrum
    dorsal view
  • in tandem
    female form typica
  • mating
    female form typica

Behaviour

Adults fly low and weakly, rarely going far from breeding waters. Like the southern damselfly, which this species sometimes accompanies, they rarely fly in any but the warmest and calmest weather conditions. They can, however, be surprisingly inconspicuous, even the males.

The males are aggressive towards each other but are not territorial. Oviposition takes place in tandem.

Eggs and larvae

It lays elongated eggs in submerged and emergent plants which subsequently hatch after about a month. The larvae are very small, about 16–17 millimetres (0.63–0.67 in), and are found in acidic bogs, streams and ponds. They live among debris in bogs and develop after two years.

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References
  1. Samraoui, B. & Ferreira, S. 2018. Ceriagrion tenellum. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T165495A75418578. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T165495A75418578.en. Downloaded on 21 June 2020.
  • Dijkstra, Klaas-Douwe B. (2006). Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Britain and Europe. pp. 66–67. ISBN 0-9531399-4-8.
  • "Small Red Damselfly". British Dragonfly Society. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
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