Azure Maidens
Azure Maidens | ||||||||||||
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Horseshoe Damselfly ( Coenagrion puella ) |
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Systematics | ||||||||||||
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Scientific name | ||||||||||||
Coenagrion | ||||||||||||
Kirby , 1890 |
The azure damsel ( Coenagrion ) are a genus of the slender dragonflies (Coenagrionidae) within the dragonflies (Zygoptera). They are mostly small dragonflies with wingspans and body lengths of around five centimeters.
features
The Azure Maiden are usually very slender, almost needle-shaped. The males are usually glossy blue and black, with a characteristic black mark on the 2nd abdomen segment. The females can also be blue, but also brownish or green-black.
species
The following species of azure maiden can be found in Europe:
- Baikal Azurjungfer - Coenagrion glaciale (Europ. N. Russia)
- Bird Azure Maiden - Coenagrion ornatum
- Helmet Azure Maiden - Coenagrion mercuriale
- Crested Azure Damselfly - Coenagrion armatum
- Horseshoe Damselfly - Coenagrion puella
- Bat-Azure Damselfly - Coenagrion pulchellum
- Spear Damselfly - Coenagrion hastulatum
- Moon Azure Maiden - Coenagrion lunulatum
- Bilek's Azure Maiden - Coenagrion hylas
- Fork Azure Maiden - Coenagrion scitulum
- Nordic Azure Maiden - Coenagrion johanssoni
- Southern Azure Damselfly - Coenagrion caerulescens
- Cretan damsel - Coenagrion intermedium (Crete)
- Caspian Azure Damselfly - Coenagrion ponticum (Caspian Sea)
- Unhorned Azure Damselfly - Coenagrion ecornutum (South Urals)
Non-European species (selection)
- Sub-arctic damsel ( Coenagrion interrogatum )
- Taiga Azure Damselfly ( Coenagrion resolutum )
- Prairie azure damsel ( Coenagrion angulatum )
Similar species
In many older textbooks, two other slender dragonfly species also appear under the German name "Azurjungfer", but they belong to different genera: the cup azur damsel and the cup azur damsel. To avoid this misunderstanding, the first species, Enallagma cyathigerum, is now usually referred to as the common cup maiden . The second species Erythromma lindenii , which now bears the German name Pokaljungfer , can usually still be found under the scientific name Cercion lindenii . Due to the larval morphology and more recent molecular biological characteristics, however, it can be safely classified in the genus of garnet eyes ( Erythromma ).
literature
- W. Stichmann, U. Stichmann-Marny, E. Kretzschmar: The great cosmos nature guide - animals and plants , Franckh-Kosmos Verlag GmbH & Co., Stuttgart 1996, ISBN 3-440-09454-5
- H. Bellmann: Dragonflies watch - determine , Naturbuch Verlag Augsburg 1993, ISBN 3-89440-522-8
- G. Jurzitza: The Kosmos Dragonfly Guide , Franckh-Kosmos Verlags GmbH & Co., Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-440-08402-7