Aurora Bluetail (Damselflies in New Zealand)

Aurora Bluetail

Ischnura aurora

Description ¹¹

A small apple green damselfly with black thoracic stripes and blue tipped yellow tail.

Male

Eyes: Black half moon like cap above, olive green to dark olive below, which fade to pale olive beneath. Two azure blue spots are present behind the eyes. Thorax: Shining black with two pale grass green stripes. Sides are light green and white below. Legs: Pale greenish white with vertical stripe on femur, just above femur - tibia joint. Wings: Transparent. Wing spot: The wing spots are different in fore and hindwings. It is rose-red in forewings and uniform pale grey in hindwings. Abdomen: Bright reddish yellow. The second and seventh segments has upper narrow and broad black marks respectively. Only 1/3 of length of segment 8 and full length of segment 9 tergite are blue. The base color of the segment 8 tergite is melanic black.

Female

Eyes: Brown half moon like cap above, green to pale green below. Thorax: Shining black with two orange stripes. Sides are pale green. Legs: Pale white with vertical black stripes on femur, just above femur - tibia joint. Abdomen: A broad black stripe runs along the upper side of abdomen. Segments 8 - 10 do not have azure blue markings.