Banded Demoiselle

Calopteryx splendens

The Banded Demoiselle is a beautiful dragonfly with shiny, colorful wings. They love to flutter around rivers and ponds, showing off their bright colors to everyone!

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Banded Demoiselle has a metallic blue-green body. Males are striking with broad, dark blue-black bands across their translucent wings, while females have green bodies and clear, often smoky, wings with a prominent white spot. This wing banding makes them easily distinguishable from other damselflies.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassInsectaOrderOdonataFamilyCalopterygidaeGenusCalopteryx

Banded Demoiselle

Interesting facts

Despite having six legs, they aren't built for walking and prefer to fly or perch!

Their dazzling metallic shimmer comes from tiny structures, not just plain color!

They have separate eyes on either side of their head, unlike dragonflies with conjoined eyes!

Wow, their larvae can live underwater for up to two years before becoming adults!

Special abilities

Females can carefully lay their eggs inside aquatic plant stems using a special egg-laying tube.

Its aquatic nymphs are fierce predators, ambushing small invertebrates hidden in the water.

Males actively defend prime spots along the water's edge to ensure successful mating opportunities.

Measurements & details

Wingspan: 60-70 mm
Size: 45-48 mm
Lifespan: 14-28 days
Flight Speed: 5-10 km/h
Leg Count: 6

Diet & Feeding

These aerial hunters feast on small flying insects they snatch right out of the air!

Age differences: Nymphs are aquatic predators, ambushing small invertebrates; adults hunt aerial insects.

Primary Foods

Midges
Mosquitoes
Small flies
Aphids
Mayflies

Foraging Method

Pursuit

Ecological connections

eaten by

Common frog

Rana temporaria

Adults can be prey for amphibians.

eaten by

Brown trout

Salmo trutta

Nymphs are a food source for fish.

eaten by

Grey wagtail

Motacilla cinerea

Birds often catch them near water.

hunts

Common house mosquito

Culex pipiens

Helps control mosquito populations.

hunts

Non-biting midge

Chironomus plumosus

Preys on various small flying insects.

Traits

Solitary

Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.

Aerial

Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting.

Colorful

Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.

Insectivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.