small red-eyed damselfly small redeye erythromma viridulum

portraits
small red-eyed damselfly
immature male has a pale face and eyes
small red-eyed damselfly
Side of female thorax can be green, yellow or blue. s10 has a light top.
small red-eyed damselfly
Female. Very broad unbroken thoracic stripes. Here, thorax is green. Thistle in s2. Blue gaps between end segments.
Females usually only seen in tandem or egg-laying.
small red-eyed damselfly
species sometimes lies with end of abdomen upturned
small red-eyed damselfly
Male thorax has blue sides and shoulder stripes are usually broken. S10 has a black 'X' shape on the top (can see half of it above). Also, a blue wedge shape under s8. Neither of these identifying features is present on the red-eyed damselfly.
There is usually a black dot on the side of the thorax (both sexes). Very occasionally this is joined to the adjacent black line. On a red-eyed, the dot is usually joined.
small red-eyed damselfly
male


in tandem
small red-eyed damselflies small red-eyed damselflies
small red-eyed damselflies
small red-eyed damselflies small red-eyed damselfly
small red-eyed damselflies
I wonder what the record chain length is? (male at each end)


mating
small red-eyed damselflies
female with green thorax
 small red-eyed damselflies
... female with blue thorax
small red-eyed damselflies
small red-eyed damselflies
female with green thorax ...
 small red-eyed damselflies


ovipositing
small red-eyed damselfly
the female is usually accompanied by the male while she lays eggs into surface vegetation
 small red-eyed damselfly
small red-eyed damselfly small red-eyed damselfly
small red-eyed damselfly
occasionally the female lays eggs on her own ...
small red-eyed damselfly


feeding
small red-eyed damselfly
face-off with a pond-skater
small red-eyed damselfly
the damsel appears to be eating a green insect as pond-skater approaches ...
small red-eyed damselfly
... the pond-skater takes a risk, goes right up to the damsel and stands on the green insect!
small red-eyed damselfly
... close-up of the above


lucky escape
small red-eyed damselfly
this male seems to be trapped in a spider's web ...
small red-eyed damselfly
... but 4 mins. later he has escaped!