Beautiful Demoiselle Calopteryx virgo
This rare species in the county is very similar to the common Banded Demoiselle; male Beautiful's wings are more extensively dark, extending to wing bases. Females almost indistinguishable, but wings tinted slightly brownish.
Status of Beautiful Demoiselle in Leicestershire & Rutland
Number of occupied 2km grid squares in Leicestershire & Rutland, up to the end of 2004: 4/720
A handfull of old records only. The nearest colonies are in Warwickshire, one within 15km of the county border near Hinckley.
Although cited historically by various authorities as being ‘common on the southern boundary (of Leicestershire) and in Rutland’ (Roebuck, 1932), ‘locally common (in Leicestershire)’ (Longfield, 1937) and present in Leicestershire in 1960 (Corbet et al, 1960), there have been no recent records of this species in VC 55. |
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Distribution Map
Beautiful Demoiselle 2004 |
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There are just four records on the LRDG database, the most recent in 1973, though none of these have supporting information and cannot be verified.
If is assumed that this species is no longer present in Leicestershire & Rutland, although isolated colonies in the surrounding counties of Warwickshire, Staffordshire and Nottinghamshire indicate that its presence at an undiscovered location cannot be ruled out. |
Beautiful Demoiselle Habitat
The Beautiful Demoiselle favours faster-flowing pebble- or sand-bottomed streams, especially in heathland/moorland.
Flight period of Beautiful Demoiselle
Beautiful Demoiselle Photo Gallery
| There are currently no photos of this species available from Leicestershire & Rutland. |
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