IDENTITY RECORD

Southern damselfly

SCIENTIFIC NAME

Coenagrion mercuriale

Description

A small blue damselfly, I grow no more than 30 mm. Like all Odonata, my larvae are aquatic while adult damselflies live out of water.

Behavior

Diet

My larvae eat small aquatic invertebrates such as mosquito larvae. The adults of my species eat small insects (midges, mosquitoes) that I hunt in flight on meadows, along river banks, or above the water. I then consume my prey resting on the vegetation.

REPRODUCTION

I lay my eggs in the submerged parts of hollow-stemmed plants.

Where and when can you find me in the reserve?

Habitat

You can generally find me near lakes, ponds, and slow-moving water like ox-bows. I prefer areas with an abundance of riparian vegetation (reeds, bulrushes, sedges).

When to spot me

You can find me between mid-May and mid-August.

Mistaken identity

You might confuse me with other damselflies but the males of my species have a distinctive bull-headed marking on their abdomen.

Conservation status

• Red list of Odonata in metropolitan France: Least Concern (LC);
• Red list of endangered Odonata in Alsace: Vulnerable (VU);
• Protected in France.
• Species of community interest as included in Appendix II of the European Habitats Directive.