Scarce blue-tailed damselfly

The scarce blue-tailed damselfly, often referred to as the small bluetail, is a captivating member of the damselfly family Coenagrionidae. This species can be found throughout much of Europe, though it is absent in the northernmost regions. Its range extends from Asia Minor to Siberia in the east and reaches as far south as Morocco, the Azores, and Madeira.

Male scarce blue-tailed damselflies are particularly distinctive. They typically have a black abdomen adorned with a bright blue spot on the tail segments 8 and 9. This characteristic makes them resemble the blue-tailed damselfly, Ischnura elegans, which has its blue marking predominantly on segment 8.

Females of this species undergo a notable color transformation as they mature. They start out bright orange in their immature stage and gradually transition to a greenish-brown as they reach adulthood.