Ceriagrion georgifreyi replaces its congener C. tenellum in parts of Greece, in Turkey and Syria. The areas of distribution of these species don’t seem to overlap which makes things easier considering their very similar appearance. In case of doubt, males of the species can be reliably told apart by the shape and size of their lower appendages. Females can be ID’d by the presence (C. georgifreyi) or absence (C. tenellum) of two small flaps on their upper thorax, right behind the pronotum.
Like in C. tenellum, Turkish Red Damsel females come in a few colour formas. Three colour forms have been found so far: typica with a red and black abdomen, erythrogastrum with a completely red abdomen like a male’s and melanogastrum. The latter colour form, typified by a completely black abdomen, is the rarest and only few photos of it can be found. The photos below were taken at a known finding site near Köyceğiz, Turkey.
in and around Europe
