Ischnura elegans (female forma violacea)
Ischnura elegans (female forma violacea, detail)
Ischnura elegans (female forma rufescens)
English name:	Blue-tailed Damselfly
Dutch name:	Lantaarntje
Photos taken at the Ooijpolder, The Netherlands, May 1999 (violacea), and the Zwartven, Luyksgestel NB, the Netherlands, August 1995 (rufescens)

Note: Ischnura elegans is our (= Netherlands) most common odonate. It's found virtually everywhere.

Females occur in five color forms:

1. typica: same coloration as male, so segment 8 is blue and the thorax is blue or green with a clear, black antehumeral stripe.
2. rufescens: segment 8 is blue while the thorax, which lacks an antehumeral stripe, is pink or orange with a black stripe on the back (see bottom picture).
3. infuscans-obsoleta: segment 8 is brown. The thorax, which lacks the antehumeral stripe but has a black stripe on the back, is grey or brown.
4. infuscans: segment 8 is brown like that of infuscans-obsoleta, the thorax is brighter: green or light brown, with a clear antehumeral stripe.
5. violacea: segment 8 is blue, the thorax purplish with a clear antehumeral stripe (see top picture).