Ischnura senegalensis is extremely widespread in tropical and subtropical parts of the old world, extending from Africa to Japan and south to western New Guinea. Within Europe, it is known from a small colony in the Canary Islands (Tenerife). Singapore refers to I. senegalensis as the Common Bluetail but I prefer the Tropical Bluetail handle used by the IUCN Redlist and other authors, especially since Dijkstra refers to I. elegans as the Common Bluetail in Europe.
In standard colour form, these characters bear a close resemblance to our European Ischnura elegans (Blue-tailed Damselfly/Common Bluetail). With its green thorax, the male I. senegalensis looks quite like an immature male I. elegans and females of both species come in multiple colour forms, though the females don’t share colour schemes across the species.
Our Botswana 2022 trip was particularly educational in regard to male variations, some having a completely black upper thorax and some being reminiscent of Coenagrion pulchellum (Variable Damselfly) males with abbreviated or broken antehumeral stripes. There was even a dull female form remiscent of a mature female I. pumuilio (Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly).
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