Variables v Azure
Key things to look for in the male:
Variable 'a broken shoulder stripe', Azure 'unbroken shoulder stripe' on the thorax
Variable 'a wine glass shape marking', Azure 'a U shape marking' at front of the abdomen
Variable 'a strong pale blue line', Azure 'no line' between the eyes
NB These are not strict rule, I've seen plenty of Variables without a broken shoulder stripe and missing line between the eyes. Normally a number of the features need to be assessed for identification
Key things to look for in the female:
Variable 'a strong pale blue line', Azure 'no line' between the eyes
Pronotum shape (the bit that the male locks onto when mating)
NB Again the strong pale blue line is only sometimes there in the variable so is unreliable, the pronotum shape is the only true way to ID them
