The scarce blue-tailed damselfly or small blue-tail (Ischnura pumilio) male has a black abdomen with a bright blue spot on the tail. It is very similar to the blue-tailed damselfly but on that species the blue spot is mostly on segment 8. The scarce blue-tail body is black apart from the rear of segment 8 and the whole of segment 9 which are blue. Its eyes are blue or blue-green,the legs are black, and the wings are clear with a distinctive diamond shaped black and white pterostigma. The immature female is bright orange, the aurantiaca phase, but matures to a greenish-brown. It occurs in Europe, Northern Africa and east as far as Siberia.
