Cercion lindenii - Goblet-marked Damselfly - Agrion à longs cercoïdes

Description

A common blue and black damselfly in the Mediterranean region. This species may be distinguished from the many other blue and black coegrionadids by the noticeable male appendages. The male has a long black line along the top of the second segment of the abdomen and segments 3 to 6 have a black mark with a long point. The female has an olive green abdomen apart from the last few segments which are blue. This insect has been recently reclassified as Erythromma lindenii.

Male at Lac du Salagou, 8th July 2004

Male at Lac du Salagou, 8th July 2004

Female at Lac du Salagou, 8th July 2004

Sequence of photos showing male pushing the female through the surface film to lay her eggs. Several other males arrive to watch for her emergence. River Orb, Herepian (34), 28th May 2005

Observations

26/05/2004   Solitary male at Lac du Salagou, Hérault (34).

08/07/2004   20-30 males and females at Lac du Salagou, Hérault (34).

01/09/2004   One male by the Lac du Salagou, Hérault (34).

28/05/2005   Several dozen including paired and oviposting. Watched several pairs with male submerging the female on floating vegetation (Crowfoot?). River Orb, Herepian (34)

28/05/2005   Up to a hundred including pairs in cop and ovipositing seen on a stream at Chateau de Grezan, Laurens (34)

19/06/2006   Males and females, including pairs in tandem, on River Orb at Hérépian (34)

22/06/2006   A few dozen including pairs in tandem at Lac du Salagou (34)

22/06/2006   Hundreds including tandem, wheel and ovipositing pairs at the Plan d'eau, Lunas (34)

23/08/2006   Several males near to bank of River Orb near Cazoules-les-Béziers.

24/05/2007   10-30 seen at the Plan d'Eau at Lunas including pairs in cop

16/05/2009   A few pairs ovipositing in weed at the edge of the boating lake at Lunas (34).

09/06/2009   A few (<30) at the La Peynes stream near to the Barrage des Olivettes.

09/06/2009   Several hundred specimens including pairs in tandem and ovipoisting at the Barrage des Olivettes.

16/06/2009   30+ including pairs in tandem and ovipositing at the River Orb at Hérépian.