Xanthagrion erythroneurum

Red & Blue Damsel at Wallaga Lake, NSW

Xanthagrion erythroneurum at Wallaga Lake, NSW - 3 Oct 2015
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Identification history

Xanthagrion erythroneurum 11 May 2018 HarveyPerkins

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User's notes

teneral female

4 comments

JackieMiles wrote:
   12 May 2018
Hmm, I'm stumped on this one. We have some photos of mating pairs of this species and in one shot the female has a couple of broader bands at the tip of the abdomen, like the male, and in another she doesn't. The pattern on the side of the thorax seems to fit that species and no other damsels in our photo collection. What's teneral mean? Couldn't find it in the glossary of our field guide.
HarveyPerkins wrote:
   13 May 2018
Teneral means recently emerged as an adult, in which adult colouration may not yet have developed fully. In some species, male and female tenerals can look very similar. Another feature to look at with this particular record is the shape of and patterning on the back of the head. And there is no red development on the first two abdominal segments, which would probably be obvious in a teneral male.
HarveyPerkins wrote:
   13 May 2018
The red-jointed legs is also a bit of a give away for this being a female Red & Blue Damsel.
JackieMiles wrote:
   14 May 2018
OK, checked our photos and I see what you mean about the red leg joints in the female. In our photos of mating pairs she is partly or fully submerged too, as in your damselfly entry in your blog.

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Sighting information

  • 1 Abundance
  • 3 Oct 2015 12:55 PM Recorded on
  • HarveyPerkins Recorded by

Species information

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