Banded Demoiselle

The banded demoiselle is a damselfly, Latin name Calopteryx splendens (Wikipedia).

Banded demoiselles live in and around slow-flowing streams, rivers and ponds.

Males vs Females

Males (main photo) have a broad, dark, irridescent blue-black spot or band on their wings. Their bodies are metallic blue or blueish green.

Females have pale green irridescent wings with a white patch near the tip. Their bodies are metallic green or bronze/green.

Life Cycle

Male banded demoiselles are territorial, performing fluttering display flights, and often returning to the same plant to rest (Wildlife Trusts).

After mating, females lay eggs by injecting them into plant stems under the surface of the water. The eggs take two weeks to hatch, and the larvae develop over two years. Damselfly larvae are called nymphs, and they are aquatic, preying on small invertebrates. They overwinter in the mud at the bottom of the river or pond.

When it is ready to become an adult, a banded demoiselle climbs a reed or other plant, and moults.

Adults are on the wing from May to August.