Coenagrion ornatum
Coenagrion ornatum (Selys, 1850)
Local names: Ornate bluet, Vogel-Azurjungfer, Vogelwaterjuffer
Species Information
Description
The males of Coenagrion ornatum are light blue with black markings, similar to C. mercuriale and stockier than C. puella. The pattern on S2 has a shape of a trident or a W. The males have much longer lower appendages than upper ones, which is visible in a side view. The females are more extensively blue than other females of Coenagrion; on the abdomen they have in fact a discontinous black pattern against a light blue background that make them similar to the androchrome females of C. puella. Both the females and males have postocular spots with a toothed lower margin, where all other Coenagrions have smooth edges. The pterostigmas are dark and diamond shaped.
Size
Habitat
Coenagrion ornatum occurs in sunny seepages and permanent and mostly small streams generally with a slow current and shallow water. In most cases there is organic mud and detrius on the stream-bed and moderately dense herbaceous vegetation. The water is often calcareous and relatively warm. Natural habitat types where these conditions occur are spring marshes, karstic springs and streams. Most of the European populations are presently found in agricultural areas, at small ditches and streams. Many of these habitats depend on both the cyclic cleaning of water courses and the mowing of bank side vegetation to prevent the habitat from becoming overgrown. In Slovenia it was noted that the species readily colonises newly created ditches and streams. In most Europe the species favours largely open habitats below 600 m. In the Balkan Peninsula populations have been found up to 900 m, while in Turkey it occurs in mountain streams up to 1 800 m, some of which are extensively snow-covered in winter.
Distribution
The core of the range is in south-east Europe, with small and isolated areas of occurence in central and western Europe. The area where the species is reasonably widespread, although populations are often small, runs from Hungary and Slovenia southwards to Bulgaria and northern Greece. To the East this core area extends to Romaina and western Ukraine. The species is rare in the south of Greece and absent from the Mediterranean islands. It is rare to very rare in central and western Europe, with large populations only found in the Danube valley in Bavaria in southern Germany, and the Nièvre and Saône departments in central France. Outside these areas only a few dozen central European populations are currently known.
Conservation Status
Similar Species
Coenagrion puella, Coenagrion mercuriale
External Links
Genus: Coenagrion
Coenagrion is a genus of damselflies in the family Coenagrionidae, commonly called the Eurasian Bluets (although three species are found in North America). Species of Coenagrion are generally medium-sized, brightly coloured damselflies.
Identification
Males are small blue damselflies with black markings. The blue areas may be partly greenish or whitish. Females have more extensive black markings, and are more often green or brownish. A damselfly with plain pterostigmas, with roundish postocular spots, with antehumeral stripes narrower than the black line below it, and with two short black lines on the thorax sides, will in most cases belong to Coenagrion.
Separation from other genera
Enallagma normally have antehumeral stripes wider than the black line below them and just one short black line on the thorax side. Ischnura males have bi-coloured pterostigma. Enallagma and Ischnura females have a vulvar spine. Erythromma species are darker, with reduced or no postocular spots, and males have red or all-blue eyes, whereas eyes of Coenagrion are blue with dark caps. The blue Erythromma lindenii is very similar, but differs in many details, like wider antehumeral stripes, an all-black upperside to S2 and a shorter 'tail-light' positioned further at the tip of the abdomen.
Behaviour
Males typically fly low among or along riparian vegetation. They rarely venture far from water. MAles and females in tandems often oviposit in concentrations on floating vegetation. The male often holds a conspicuous upright posture when in tandem with the female.
Family: Coenagrionidae
The insect family Coenagrionidae is placed in the order Odonata and the suborder Zygoptera. The Zygoptera are the damselflies, which although less known than the dragonflies, are no less common. More than 1,300 species are in this family, making it the largest damselfly family. The family Coenagrionidae has six subfamilies: Agriocnemidinae, Argiinae, Coenagrioninae, Ischnurinae, Leptobasinae, and Pseudagrioninae.
This family is referred to as the narrow-winged damselflies or the pond damselflies. The Coenagrionidae enjoy a worldwide distribution, and are among the most common of damselfly families. This family has the smallest of damselfly species. More than 110 genera of the family Coenagrionidae are currently accepted.
The family was named by William Forsell Kirby in 1890. The name may be derived from Greek coen meaning shared or common and agrio meaning fields or wild.