Bug FAQDainty Damselfly
Coenagrion scitulum · Order: Odonata · Family: Coenagrionidae
Also called: Dainty Blue Damselfly, Dainty Bluet
The dainty damselfly is a small predator about 30-33 mm long with hind-wing lengths of 15-20 mm. It lives in large, still ponds with abundant vegetation, as well as flooded ditches and constructed wetlands.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Males have a blue eighth abdominal segment followed by black on segment nine, while females are mostly black with small blue markings. The two sexes differ in colour, making them easy to tell apart.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults reach 30-33 mm in total length and have hind-wings 15-20 mm long.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are found in large, generally stagnant ponds with abundant vegetation such as water-milfoil and hornwort. They also occur in flooded ditches and constructed wetlands, which serve as important sanctuaries.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Like other odonates, the dainty damselfly is a predator.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
It shows unique mating habits compared with other odonates. Populations are generally univoltine, producing one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are most easily spotted in June and July. Climate change has pushed its range northward, eastward and westward, creating new edge populations.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is especially common in western Europe, northwest Africa, the western Caspian region and the south Caucasus.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It can be confused with the common blue damselfly.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
How big are dainty damselflies?
Adults are about 30-33 mm long with hind-wings 15-20 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
What habitats do they prefer?
They favor large, stagnant ponds with plenty of vegetation, as well as flooded ditches and constructed wetlands.
Source: Wikipedia
What other damselfly looks similar?
They are often mistaken for the common blue damselfly.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Coenagrionidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dainty_damselfly
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.