{{Short description|Species of damselfly}} {{Speciesbox | name = Variable damselfly | image = Variable damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum) male.jpg | image_caption = Male, shoulder stripe just broken, UK | image2 = Variable damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum) female dark form Estonia.jpg | image2_caption = Female, dark form, Estonia | taxon = Coenagrion pulchellum | authority = (Vander Linden, 1825) }}
The '''variable damselfly''' or '''variable bluet''' ('''''Coenagrion pulchellum''''') is a European damselfly. Despite its name, it is not the only blue damselfly prone to variable patterning.
Its behaviour is much like that of the azure damselfly; it usually stays close to vegetation. Immatures are often found in adjacent meadows or uncut grassy areas.
==Description==
The male variable damselfly has a distinctive "wine glass" marking on the second segment of the abdomen. This is a black U-shaped mark with a black line joining the segment's narrow terminal black band.<ref name="Brooks">{{cite book|last=Brooks|first=Steve|title=Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Great Britain and Ireland|year=1997|publisher=British Wildlife Publishing|isbn=0-9531399-0-5}}</ref> (This distinguishes it from the azure damselfly which has the U-shape but no line connecting it to the terminal band.)<ref name="Brooks"/>
<gallery caption="Male forms" mode="packed" heights="180px"> Coenagrion pulchellum m 4344.jpg|Male<br>S9 virtually unmarked Variable damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum) male 3.jpg|Male, shoulder stripe unbroken Variable damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum) male 2.jpg|Male, shoulder stripe broken Variable damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum) mating Estonia.jpg|mating, with female blue form Fledermaus-Azurjungfer Coenagrion pulchellum 1.jpg|mating, with young adult female blue form </gallery>
<gallery caption="Female forms" mode="packed" heights="180px"> Variable damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum) immature female blue form Estonia.jpg|immature female, blue form Variable damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum) young adult female blue form Estonia.jpg|young adult female blue form Variable damselfly (Coenagrion pulchellum) female dark form 2 Estonia.jpg|adult female, dark form </gallery>
==Distribution== The variable damselfly occurs throughout Europe. Scattered and uncommon in mainland Britain but widespread and common in Ireland.<ref name="BDS">{{cite web|title=Variable Damselfly|url=http://british-dragonflies.org.uk/species/variable-damselfly|publisher=British Dragonfly Society|access-date=27 May 2011}}</ref> {{-}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons|Coenagrion pulchellum}} *http://www.brocross.com/dfly/species/pulch.htm
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1029095}}
Category:Damselflies of Europe Category:Coenagrionidae Category:Insects described in 1825
{{Coenagrionidae-stub}}