Northern Damselfly
CR

Northern Damselfly

Coenagrion hastulatum

UnknownLCEULCEU

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coenagrion_hastulatum

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

The Northern Damselfly faces severe threats from climate change, which is causing the warming and acidification of its specialized bog and moorland habitats. Habitat destruction through peat extraction, drainage of wetlands, and agricultural conversion has significantly reduced available breeding sites, while pollution from agricultural runoff and atmospheric deposition further degrades water quality in remaining habitats.

Threat summary

Habitat

Inhabits acidic, nutrient-poor bog pools, moorland tarns, and shallow peat-stained waters in upland areas. Requires specific water chemistry conditions with low pH and minimal nutrient levels, typically found in sphagnum bog complexes and heathland pools.

Other threatened species in Coenagrionidae

Irish DamselflyVU

Irish Damselfly

Coenagrion lunulatum

Unknown
VU

Seychelles Fineliner

Teinobasis alluaudi

Unknown
Red-eyed DamselflyVU

Red-eyed Damselfly

Erythromma najas

Unknown
Goblet-marked DamselflyVU

Goblet-marked Damselfly

Erythromma lindenii

Unknown

Threatened in Åland Islands

Calidris ferrugineaVU

Calidris ferruginea

Declining
VU

Syndyas nigripes

Unknown
Chrysotus cupreusCR

Chrysotus cupreus

Unknown
VU

narulukkokiiluri

Syntormon filiger

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Northern Damselfly classified as Critically Endangered?
Northern Damselfly is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Northern Damselfly faces severe threats from climate change, which is causing the warming and acidification of its specialized bog and moorland habitats. Habitat destruction through peat extraction, drainage of wetlands, and agricultural conversion has significantly reduced available breeding sites, while pollution from agricultural runoff and atmospheric deposition further degrades water quality in remaining habitats.
Where does Northern Damselfly live?
Northern Damselfly occurs in Åland Islands, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, and China (plus 25 other countries). Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Northern Damselfly?
The main threats to Northern Damselfly are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

Get weekly conservation intelligence

One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.

Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.