Quick Identification Guide

 
Welcome to my quick identification guide for the Red Eyed Damselfly. These graphics are meant as a guide to the key identifying features of both the male and the female damselflies.

The text section has been kindly written and supplied by Mr Ken Crick.

The male Red Eyed Damselfly

This is a dark species with bright red eyes. The males black upper surface of the thorax is free of any indication of an antehumeral stripe. The sides of the thorax are blue, as are abdominal segments 9 and 10. The Small Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma viridulum) is migrating west and northwards and considerable care has to be exercised to separate the two.

The female Red Eyed Damselfly

The female is dark, almost black from head to tail and with dull red eyes. The dark upper surface of the thorax is broken by two yellow short fine antehumeral stripes. The abdominal segment joints are clearly defined by a fine pale green line that turns blue for segments 8, 9 and 10. The flanks of the thorax and whole underside of the female are pale yellow tending to green.