Pic 1: I’m beginning to find that damselflies are less likely to fly away if they’re approached very slowly from a low angle, instead of from above. The reason for this may have something to do with the structure of their eyes. If you look at the picture you can clearly see that the eyes are black on the top and green underneath. It’s important to realize that the omnatidia (the thousands of tiny lenses that make up the compound eye) are not distributed evenly over the surface of the eye. Those in the upper part, looking forward (the black part) are larger and more numerous than the lower ones (the green part). The size difference means that damselflies (as well as dragonflies) are better able to see subtle detail and movement coming from the front and above. A perched damselfly is extremely aware of approaching danger and predators such as birds or dragonflies are more likely to attack from above than from below. These black areas are known as pseudopupils. The black pigment means that this area of the eye is more effective at absorbing light rather than reflecting it, making it particularly sensitive to any changes in light and movement. (Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens set at 4x and diffused 430EXII flash f14/250)

The blue-tailed damselfly is a small, dark damselfly and one of the commonest species in the UK. It is particularly common in garden ponds but can also be found around almost any waterbody and away from its breeding sites in grassland and woodland. It is on the wing from the end of May through to September.

The male blue-tailed damselfly is mostly black in colour, with a pale blue band towards the end of the body, blue eyes and blue on the thorax. Females are variable in colour from blue forms to violet. The smaller scarce blue-tailed damselfly is a much rarer species, found around temporary ponds in the south and west. The two species of red-eyed damselflies are similar but more robust and have bright red eyes.

The Wildlife Trusts