black sea red data book - Department of Biology

Calopteryx splendens - complex
Synonyms: Libellula splendens Harris, 1782:99; Calopteryx splendens Selys &
Hagen, 1850:138; Calopteryx splendens balcanica Fudakowski, 1930:57-63.
Common names: Engl: Banded demoiselle; Russ: Krasotka blestyashchaya
balkanskaya; Turk: Yaz yusufcugu.
Order ODONATA
Family CALOPTERYGIDAE
Taxonomic description. Total body length 49-51 mm, length of hindwing 29-31
mm. Eyes hemispherical, distant, situated laterally on the head. Both wing pairs
similarly shaped. Pronounced sexual dimorphism in coloration. Male: body shining
metallic blue-green; wings with basal third hyaline, veins blue, distal area with a
broad blue spot. About a dozen of subspecies exist, most of which can be
distinguished by the extension of the coloured wing spot in the males. This may vary
form a complete absence to almost occupying the full wing surface. In the Black Sea
basin, both extremes occur. Ventral side of terminal abdomina segements yellow,
marked with flack. Female: Abdomen slender, generally olive greenish; wings from
colourless to green-brownish due to the shining green veins.
IUCN Status
World level:
Black Sea Regional level: LR
Subregion level: VU (Bulgarian coast)
Distribution. A palaearctic, polytypic species, occurring in the East as far as lake
Baikal. The populations Bulgaria show features transitional between the nominate C.
s. splendens, that occurs in more or less typical form in the Danube valley and C. s.
balcanica, a broad-banded form from the southern Balkans and coastal Greece. In the
north (the Dniepr and Don valleys), a robust form occurs that may be a close relative
155