About Coenagrion mercuriale (Charpentier, 1840)
Coenagrion mercuriale, commonly known as the southern damselfly, is a damselfly species belonging to the family Coenagrionidae. This species can be found in Algeria, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Morocco, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, and the United Kingdom. Its natural habitats are rivers and freshwater springs, and the species is currently threatened by habitat loss. The specific epithet mercuriale refers to the distinctive markings on the second segment of the abdomen, which resemble the astrological symbol ☿ for the planet Mercury. This origin of the name also gives the species an alternative common name: mercury bluet. For egg-laying, southern damselflies require areas of open vegetation alongside slow-flowing water. The larvae of this species spend two years underwater before emerging as adult damselflies.
