Bluetail Damselfly

Ischnura heterosticta

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This damselfly print is an exercise in drawing almost nothing and getting it exactly right. The body of Ischnura heterosticta is barely more than a dark thread. The whole identity of the insect sits in one detail: a patch of pale blue near the tail. Get that wrong and it could be any small damselfly.

TL;DRIschnura heterosticta, the common bluetail, is one of Australia’s most widespread damselflies. It turns up at almost any still or slow water, from wetlands to suburban ponds.

Key Facts

Damselfly, not dragonfly

A damselfly is not a dragonfly, though they share the order Odonata. The simplest tell is the wings at rest. A damselfly folds them back along its body. A dragonfly holds them open, flat to the sides. Damselflies are the slighter of the two, with a thread-like body and weaker flight. Their eyes sit apart on either side of the head, while a dragonfly eyes meet on top. I drew the bluetail perched with its wings closed, because that posture alone tells you which insect you are looking at. The distinction matters more than it seems, and most photographs get it wrong.

The one blue light

The bluetail is named for a single mark. Near the tip of the male abdomen, on the eighth segment, sits a patch of bright blue. The rest of the body is dark. Against still water that blue is what catches the eye, like a tiny light at the end of a thread. I drew the segment precisely, because it is the field mark that names the species. Everything else about the insect is restraint. This one patch is the exception.

The harder subject: the females

The females are more variable than the males. They come in several colour forms. Some are blue like the males, others olive, brown, or violet, and they shift as they mature. A single plate cannot show them all. I drew the form most people meet, but the species is more changeable than one drawing admits. This variability is part of what makes the bluetail interesting to a naturalist, and a challenge to an illustrator who has to choose one true version.

A life mostly underwater

The adult damselfly is the brief, visible chapter of a much longer life. The larva is an aquatic hunter, living underwater for months, breathing through gills and ambushing smaller prey. Only at the end does it climb a stem, split its skin, and emerge as the winged adult. That adult may live just a few weeks. The bluetail you see skimming a pond is the short final act of an insect that spent most of its life out of sight, the kind of transformation Maria Sibylla Merian spent her career recording.

A summer by the water

The common bluetail is one of the most familiar damselflies across Australia. It is found in every mainland state, at still and slow water of almost every kind: wetlands, lakes, farm dams, and suburban ponds. In warmer regions it is on the wing for much of the year rather than a single short season. It tolerates a wide range of conditions, including modified and slightly brackish water, which is why it turns up where fussier species will not. It rarely strays far from the water it emerged from. A short walk along a pond edge on a warm day is usually enough to find one perched on a reed, the blue tip catching the light.

Drawing the damselfly print

The damselfly print is a lesson in economy. There is almost no mass to the insect, so the drawing is mostly line and a few small decisions. I kept the body a clean dark stroke, slightly thickened at the segments. The wings are nearly transparent, so I drew them as faint veining over the background, present but not heavy. The blue patch is the only saturated colour on the page. Drawing something this slight teaches you that a botanical illustration is as much about what you leave out as what you put in, a lesson at the centre of the illustration tradition. You can read more about the insect itself in the entry for the common bluetail.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a damselfly and a dragonfly?

At rest a damselfly folds its wings along its body, while a dragonfly holds them open. Damselflies are slighter, with eyes set apart.

Why is it called the common bluetail?

The male has a bright blue patch near the tip of its abdomen, the field mark that names the species.

What size does this damselfly print come in?

It is a digital download. Print it at A4, A3, or a standard frame size, at home or any print shop.

How is this botanical art printed and how is it shipped?

The digital file comes from Etsy and you print it yourself. A ready-made archival fine-art print, produced and shipped to you, is available through Saatchi Art.

Are female common bluetails also blue?

Some are, but females come in several forms, including olive, brown, and violet, and change as they mature.

The Bluetail Damselfly Gift Shop

The damselfly drawing carried onto pieces for everyday use: a mug for the desk, a tote for the bag, an apron for the kitchen, a notebook for study.

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