Banded Demoiselle - Calopteryx splendens

The Banded Demoiselle lives along the edges of slow flowing rivers, still ponds, lakes and canals also among damp vegetation, the male Banded Demoiselles are very territorial and they perform fluttering display flights to attract females. You can see them from May to August each year, they are clever because they catch small insects when they are flying by grabbing them with their feet, also they are tremendous consumers of mosquitoes. The male Banded Demoiselle are metallic blue with dark blue patches on each wing and the females are metallic green with pale greenish wings. The female Banded Demoiselle lays her eggs which can be up to 10 eggs per minute for 45 minutes at a time by injecting them into the stems of plants which are under the surface of the water, the eggs hatch in about two weeks and the larvae take two years to develop and they over winter in the mud at the bottom of the water, they are very sensitive to pollution therefore they are a good indicator of clean water.

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