Ischnura pumilio (Charpentier, 1825)

Common name: Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly

Preferred environment: shallow sparsely vegetated seepages and rheocrene springs in natural spring lines and artificial habitats, also shallow temporary water in pools and naturally fluctuating lake margins.

Flight period: May to mid September.

Adult habitat and habits: adults stay close to breeding sites resting on low vegetation. Adults have been observed flying high away from breeding sites on presumed dispersal flight.

Oviposition site and behaviour: Eggs are laid by unattached female into vegetation including rushes and stoneworts.

Larval habitat and habits: larvae live in shallow water in silt or amongst charophytes and mosses

Emergence behaviour: emergence occurs in morning on emergent plant stems

Range: Europe, north Africa and western Asia. Found from Morocco and southern Spain to southernmost Sweden and Finland. In Ireland uncommon principally in western counties especially Mayo and Sligo.

Determination of adults: species is keyed and diagnostic characters are figured in Askew (1988). Adults of both sexes, including immature colour form of female, are illustrated in colour in Askew (1988) and Brooks (1997).

Determination of larvae: keys to mature larvae in Askew (1988) and Brooks (1997).