Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas (Hansemann, 1823))
Scientific name: Erythromma najas (Hansemann, 1823)
Common name: Red-eyed Damselfly
Other names: Large Redeye
French name: Naïade aux yeux rouges
Order: Odonata
Suborder: Zygoptera
Family: Coenagrionidae
Wingspan: 38 to 48 mm.
Biotope: Still and stagnant water, lakes, ponds, channels with water plants.
Geographic area: Europe, missing in Ireland, in the Iberian Peninsula and in Greece, rare in Italy. Asia east to Japan.
Flight time: April to August with a peak in June.
The Red-eyed Damselfly is one of the two European species with red eyes and with a body without a dominant red colour (for males, females have brown eyes).
The thorax and the two last segments of the abdomen (S9 and S10) are bright blue. Males do not show antehumeral stripes on the upper side of the thorax, they are limited on females.
The other segments of the abdomen are a dull greyish colour.
The only possible confusion is with the Small Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma viridulum).
This last species, which is a slightly smaller size, emerges about one month later. Its geographical range extends more southwards.
It shows antehumeral stripes, a shiny abdomen with blue colour on the sides of abdomen's segments S2 and S8 (this area is greyish on the Red-eyed Damselfly). The upper side of the legs is often a pale colour (it is dark greyish on the Red-eyed Damselfly).

Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas) - Yvelines, France - May 25th 2010
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Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas)
This picture has been shot in the far (important crop), because this tandem was laying eggs far from the bank of the pond.
The identification of this species is based on the colour of the male's eyes, on the size of the body, on the strong shape of the abdomen and on the general dull colour.
Of course there is still a doubt with Erythromma viridulum.


Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas) - Saône-et-Loire, France - May 8th 2014
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Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas)
Here is one immature male observed on the bank of the Doubs river. It does not show its final colours on the eyes and on the tip of the abdomen.


Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas) - Saône-et-Loire, France - May 8th 2014
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Red-eyed Damselfly (Erythromma najas)
Closer front view.

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