Immature Blue-Tailed Damselfly

[riggy]

Hello

Can someone please confirm the ID of this Damselfly. I think it is probally a immature blue-tailed damselfly but want to ensure it is not a scarce blue tailed.
Not sure if the pic gives the proper ID features.



Found on a small pond with azures and other damslels at Kiveton Park nr Sheffield

Cheers

Paul

[Jason Claxton]

Hi Riggy

It is a Blue-tailed Damselfly and looks like the form infuscans-obsoleta

Cheers Jason.

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by Jason Claxton

It is a Blue-tailed Damselfly and looks like the form infuscans-obsoleta

Agreed - which means that it is a mature female rather than an immature.

The (almost) entirely pale dorsal side to the 8th abdomen segment, with no pale area on the 9th segment, confirms the ID as a Blue-tailed, even if you are not sure about the sex. Female Scarce Blue-tailed do not have the paler 8th segment, males have 1/2 the 8th & 1/2 the 9th segment pale.

As for the name of this colour form, I have just received a copy of the 2nd edition of the Wildguides field guide to British dragonflies and note that they have switched to calling this form rufescens-obsoleta.
Both names can be found on the internet - I'd be interested in knowing which name is used in the 2nd edition of the Steve Brooks/Richard Lewington field guide (which I never purchased). Perhaps the accepted version is now rufescens-obsoleta now?

[rogpow]

Originally Posted by RoyW

As for the name of this colour form, I have just received a copy of the 2nd edition of the Wildguides field guide to British dragonflies and note that they have switched to calling this form rufescens-obsoleta.
Both names can be found on the internet - I'd be interested in knowing which name is used in the 2nd edition of the Steve Brooks/Richard Lewington field guide (which I never purchased). Perhaps the accepted version is now rufescens-obsoleta now?

I've just bought a copy of the Brooks/Lewington guide, and they use the name rufescens-obsoleta commenting that it was previously called infuscans-obsoleta.

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by rogpow

I've just bought a copy of the Brooks/Lewington guide, and they use the name rufescens-obsoleta commenting that it was previously called infuscans-obsoleta.

Thanks for that rogpow - obviously renamed to reflect the fact that the rufescens form matures into this form.