Habitat: Sunny, varied still waters and occasionally slow-flowing waters with abundant aquatic vegetation such as feather grass and hornwort.

Appearance: The range of the Dainty Bluet extends from the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa to the Middle East. Its main range is situated in the countries around the Mediterranean Sea. Fairly rare in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Flying season: May to September.

Characteristics: Length 30–33 mm, wingspan 30–40 mm.

Life cycle: The female lays her eggs in tandem. This often occurs in the stems of aquatic plants, just below the water’s surface. The larvae live underwater, often amongst dense aquatic plants in still or slow-flowing water. The larvae overwinter in the water. When the larva is fully grown, it crawls up a plant stem to the surface of the water. Here, the larval skin bursts open and the adult Dainty Bluet emerges. The development cycle lasts 1 year.