(Photo: Jo Taylor)

The banded demoiselle is a very beautiful damselfly that can be seen on the wing along many rivers and other watercourses in the Stour Catchment, between late May and August. It is one of the largest damselflies. The male of this species is very distinctive, with large black bands on its wings which flicker during flight, and a metallic blue abdomen. Females are also quite easily seen and have a metallic green abdomen and no wing bands. Like all damselflies they are predators of small insects. Their main purpose as adults is to reproduce, and males can be very territorial. After mating, females lay eggs by injecting them into the underwater part of emergent plant stems. Aquatic larvae hatch two weeks later; they live for two years as larvae in the mud on the river bed, before metamorphosing into adults. They are not of conservation concern but KSCPs work to maintain healthy rivers will help to ensure they remain a common site.