| Copper Demoiselle (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis (Vander Linden, 1825)) |
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Scientific name: Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis (Vander Linden, 1825) Common name: Copper Demoiselle French name: Caloptéryx hémorroïdal, Caloptéryx méditerranéen, Agrion haemorrhoidalis. Order: Odonata Suborder: Zygoptera Family: Calopterygidae Wingspan: 60-70 mm. Biotope: Watercourses with fast running water, from small brooks to large rivers. Geographic area: West surroundings of the Mediterranean Sea. Southern France, Iberian peninsula, Italia, North Africa. Flight time: April to September. |
Males have a dark read body, sometimes blackish, with copper sheens that are sometimes missing. They are easy to tell apart from other species of Calopterygidae which are a metallic blue or metallic green colour. The underside of the 3 last abdomen segments is a uniform pink or bright red colour. The wings show a dark area. The base shows a hyaline area with an oblique edge from the dark area. The dark area touches the base of the wing on the fore edge. There can also be a hyaline area at the apex of the wings. This variable-shaped hyaline area can be used to separate three sub-species. Females are metallic green to bronze coloured. You can easily tell them apart with the short dark apical mark on the hind wings. The female's wings bear a white pseudopterostigma. The Copper Demoiselle's tibias are sometimes brown while they are always black on other Calopterygidae species. |
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I have shot this picture of a female Copper Demoiselle on the bridge crossing the Cèze river in the small village of Montclus (Gard - South of France). I have discovered this small village during one stay near the Ardèche river canyon, a few kilometres northwards. I came back several times and I share the opinion of this Belgian tourist I have met there: "I think that the Paradise is here". Far from the crowd, far from cars, there is sunshine here, clean water, quietness, space, … and butterflies, damselflies, etc. |
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Despite my presence, this female Copper Demoiselle came may times to land exactly at the same place. Did it raise its abdomen to attract males? I need to go back to the south of France to take pictures of male Copper Demoiselles in order to update this page. |
André Bon September 2009