Large, showy damselflies of this family often display metallic bodies and/or colored wings. They are distinguished from other North American damselflies by broad wings with dense venation and no hint of the narrow petiole or “stalk” at the base that characterizes the other families. The nodus lies well out on the wing with numerous crossveins basal to it. Colored wings in this family are heavily involved in displays between males and of males to females. This is the only damselfly family in which individuals point abdomen toward the sun (obelisking) at high temperatures. Closed wings are held either on one side of the abdomen or above it, which may relate to temperature regulation. Leg spines are very long, appropriate to fly-catching habits. Worldwide it is tropical, with a few species in temperate North America and Eurasia. World 176, NA 8, West 6.
These are the most spectacular damselflies of temperate North America and Eurasia, all large with metallic green to blue-green bodies. Different species have wings that are clear, with black tips of different extent, or entirely black. Wing pattern is important for identification. Females are similar to males but usually duller and easily distinguished by white stigmas. All live on clear streams and rivers. This is the group to watch if you wish to see odonate courtship behavior. Watch for wing clapping, wings suddenly opened and shut, which may be communication between individuals or for cooling. World 29, NA 5, West 3.
1 Sparkling Jewelwing Calopteryx dimidiata TL 37–50, HW 23–31
Description Slender metallic green damselfly with black wingtips. Noteworthy that this showy species is one of the smallest in its family. Male: Eyes dark brown. Entire body metallic green, looks blue when backlighted. Wings with terminal one-fifth black. Female: Colored as male or somewhat more bronzy-green, usually with white pseudostigma and with black wingtips less crisply defined. Some have only hindwing tips black; others have clear or entirely dusky wings. Immature with reddish eyes, duller body color.
Identification No similar species in its range in the West. Often occurs with Ebony Jewel-wing, which is larger, with broad black wings. Some female Sparkling have darkish wings, never as dark as Ebony, and distinctly narrower. Shaped more like RUBYSPOT, but all-green body and black wingtips furnish easy distinction. In flight, looks like glowing green toothpick with flashing black wingtips dancing around, whereas black fluttering wings dominate appearance of Ebony.
Natural History Both sexes often together at the breeding habitat, at least at some times of day. Males defend small territories with potential oviposition sites, flutter around and around each other in spiral flight over water, and chase one another along up to 40 feet of stream; spectacular to see, with brilliant green abdomen and flashing black wingtips. Also display to females that approach oviposition site in “floating cross display” by dropping to water and floating for a short distance with wings partially spread and abdomen curled up. This is repeated until female flips wings, showing receptiveness, or leaves the stream. Receptive female then courted with rapidly whirring wings, followed in some cases by copulation, which lasts about 2 min. Female oviposits by walking down leaf until submerged, often quite far, then laying several hundred eggs for about 15–20 min underwater. She then rises to surface, usually unreceptive to further male attention but remaining near water.
1.1
Sparkling Jewelwing male—Leon Co., FL, April 2005
1.2
Sparkling Jewelwing female—Marion Co., FL, April 2005
Habitat Small, sandy forest streams with abundant vegetation and usually swift current; less tied to woodland than Ebony and more often in quite open areas.
Flight Season TX Apr–May.
Distribution Widespread in the Southeast, south to central Florida, and north along the Atlantic coast to New Hampshire.
2 River Jewelwing Calopteryx aequabilis TL 43–54, HW 27–37
Description Large green damselfly with black wingtips. Male: Eyes dark brown. Body glossy metallic green, looks blue in some lights. Wings with more than terminal third black, that on hindwing more extensive than on forewing, younger individuals with paler wingtips. Female: Slightly duller or more bronzy; white pseudostigma allows easy distinction from male. Dark of wingtips can be more obscured, inner wing darker, so contrast less evident.
Identification This species unlike any other in its range in the West. Some female River Jewelwings have wings dusky enough that wingtips do not contrast much, and a closer look is necessary to distinguish them from female Ebony Jewelwing where they occur together on Great Plains. Also, some female Ebony have darker wingtips. With experience, River are seen to be somewhat narrower-winged. No other Calopteryx jewelwings west of Great Plains.
Natural History Rarely seen very far from water. Both sexes at times common on streamside vegetation in optimal habitat. Males often seen in lengthy flights along shores of large rivers but typically perch over water and defend small territories, interacting constantly with somewhat irregular horizontal circling flights, some of them lengthy. Male stationary display to female spectacular, forewings fluttering and hindwings briefly halted so black tips prominent. Male flutters in front of female with abdomen tip raised, then lands and raises it further, exposing white under tip. Male also dives to water surface briefly with wings outspread. Male and female wing-clap to one another. Copulations lasts a few minutes, oviposition up to 24 min but usually much briefer (average 9 min). Females oviposit on floating, sometimes emergent, vegetation or back down stem and submerge for up to 50 min, usually with male in attendance at surface. Longevity of reproductive adults up to 28 days.
Habitat Clear streams of all sizes and rivers with moderate current, usually with beds of submergent aquatic vegetation. Typically more open and larger streams than those used by Ebony Jewelwing. However, the two often occur together, and River Jewelwings can be common on rather tiny wooded streams as long as there is some sun penetration. Also seen at rocky shores of large lakes in some areas.
Flight Season BC Jun–Jul, AB Jun–Aug, WA Jun–Sep, OR May–Sep, CA May–Jul, MT Jun–Aug, NE May–Sep.
Distribution Widespread in the Northeast, east to Newfoundland and south to Indiana and West Virginia.
Comments Several subspecies described from West not presently considered distinct but indicative of variation in wing pattern.
2.1
River Jewelwing male—King Co., WA, June 2004
2.2
River Jewelwing female—Malheur Co., OR, June 2000, Netta Smith
Description No other North American damselfly is metallic green with black wings. Large size alone is distinctive. Male: Eyes dark brown. Brilliant metallic green (blue in some lights) all over, with black wings. Female: Slightly duller, with conspicuous white pseudostigma and wings somewhat paler at base than in male.
Identification Females with somewhat paler wing bases could be mistaken for female River Jewelwing, but contrast between base and tip usually much greater in the latter. Broader wings should also distinguish Ebony. Only other black-winged damselflies in range are some Smoky Rubyspots, with much narrower wings and black body.
Natural History Both sexes at and near water much of day, tend to be more at rapids when that habitat is present. Much wing clapping, opening wings slowly and closing them suddenly. Males may have “flights of attrition,” bouncing around one another while moving laterally, sometimes surprisingly long distances away from start. Flights persist for many minutes, presumably until one cannot maintain interaction and flies away or lands. Males defend territories for up to 8 days around patches of submergent and floating vegetation in stream, bigger patches being more attractive. Females arrive at water well after males. Courtship display in front of female includes much wing fluttering and often showing of the white under the abdomen tip, then landing on prominent white stigma of female and walking down wings to achieve tandem position. Females return to male’s territory, oviposit in rootlets and submergent vegetation of many types, even wet logs, at water surface; also may submerge entirely. Eggs laid at 7–10/min, may total 1800 in a lifetime. Males guard females with which they have mated and often guard additional females that oviposit in their territory, especially when females are at high density (likely because these are attracted to one another). Males that have lost territories may resort to “sneaking,” attempting to mate with females on other males’ territories. Night roosts may be communal, deep in tall grass. Often seen flying between night roosts in woodland and waterside, even across roads, where fluttery flight is very distinctive. Average longevity 2–3 weeks (including 11 days while immature), maximum 47 days.
Habitat Slow-flowing woodland streams, usually associated with herbaceous vegetation. Occurs on open banks when trees are nearby (trees are essential for roosting at night). May be abundant at small streams in woods where very few other species are present.
Flight Season NE May–Sep, TX Mar–Oct.
Distribution Also throughout eastern United States and southeastern Canada.
3.1
Ebony Jewelwing male—Price Co., WI, June 2007
3.2
Ebony Jewelwing female—Fayette Co., IA, July 2004
Wings are narrower than in Calopteryx jewelwings, usually with small stigma in both sexes. Males are unmistakable with red wing bases; wings vary from clear to black otherwise. Females appear much duller, may lack any hint of red in wings, but are still large, usually metallic damselflies with heavily veined wings. Species of this genus are among the most obvious stream damselflies of the New World tropics. World 37, NA 3, West 3.
4 American Rubyspot Hetaerina americana TL 38–46, HW 26–30
Description Large metallic damselfly with conspicuous red wing bases. Male: Eyes dark reddish-brown, paler below and behind. Mostly metallic red head and thorax, shiny black abdomen. Bright red patches at wing base marked by white veins. Red varies in extent, at greatest almost to nodus; most in Texas, least in southwestern mountains. Female: Quite variable. Eyes brown over tan, paler than in male. Duller than male, dark colors of body vary from matte black to metallic green to metallic red (head and thorax only). Wings vary from almost uncolored to diffuse orange wash at base to dark orange filling same area as red in male. Pale stigma obvious in East, including Texas, smaller but still present (rarely lacking) from west Texas to southeastern California, absent in Pacific coast populations. Stigma typically paler and more contrasty in female than in male.
Identification Larger than other closedwing damselflies. Only rubyspot in most of West. Male unique in much of range. Female distinguished from pond damsels by large size, densely veined wings, and metallic greenish to orange body with conspicuously striped thorax, usually (but not always) orange suffusion in wings. See Canyon and Smoky Rubyspots.
Natural History Both sexes rest on stems and leaves over water, sexes mixed more than in most damselflies. Commonly perches on small plants in midcurrent, also on rocks. May go into obelisk position in hot sun. Females probably territorial at water as are males. Has been seen to concentrate in large numbers at dusk emergence of mayflies. Flight low and fast over water. Resident males aggressive to intruders, performing horizontal circling flights until one leaves; display flights may last for minutes. Red wing spots in males increase in size to about 14 days. Larger spots in more successful territory holders but may reduce hunting success. No courtship, males merely seizing approaching females. Perched females reject inappropriate males by opening wings and curving abdomen upward. Copulation brief, averaging 3 min in one study. Males mate infrequently, averaging less than once per day. Females oviposit on surface vegetation or by submerging entirely down to 3–5 inches, remain in a fairly small area, then emerge after up to an hour. Males remain on alert above their mate, apparently guarding against other males, but relatively seldom re-mate with her, although she may mate with a second male. Typically roost communally at night because of attraction to other roosting rubyspots; males often near their daytime territories. Some may remain on rocks over water for night roost. Maturation period about 6–10 days, average life expectancy about 10–15 days.
4.1
American Rubyspot male—Catron Co., NM, July 2007; female—Starr Co., TX, November 2005
4.2
American Rubyspot pair—Llano Co., TX, July 2004
Habitat Clear, swift-running, sometimes rocky streams and rivers of all sizes with shore vegetation for perching and submerged vegetation for oviposition. Common on open streams, also on wooded streams with plenty of sun. Also on flowing irrigation canals in desert areas.
Flight Season OR May–Oct, CA Apr–Dec, MT Jun–Aug, AZ Feb–Dec, NM all year, NE May–Oct, TX Mar–Jan.
Distribution Across eastern United States and southern edge of Canada south to northwest Florida; also south in uplands to Nicaragua.
5 Canyon Rubyspot Hetaerina vulnerata TL 36–46, HW 28–32
Description Large dark damselfly with red or orange wing bases. Male: Eyes dark brown over light brown. Thorax dark metallic red in front, in duller individuals looking black; narrow antehumeral stripe; and sides dull reddish. Abdomen mostly black, reddish-brown low on sides. Base of wings red, with darker streak in hindwings and contrasting white veins. Extreme wingtips usually brownish, lacks stigma. Female: Eyes dark brown over tan. Thorax metallic green in front, striped with brown; sides brown. Abdomen black to metallic green above, light brown below. Wing base not red but often suffused with orange.
Identification A bit larger than American Rubyspot, with which it often occurs. Extreme wing tips usually brown in male Canyon, not marked in American (but sometimes not evident in Canyon). Canyon always lacks stigma, American has it in most populations, including where it overlaps with Canyon. However, it may be very small and inconspicuous or even lacking in some of those populations. Amount of red in wings comparable in overlap area, although American has more in most parts of range. Top of abdomen in male American sometimes with green iridescence, not in Canyon, which usually has abdomen base paler than in American. Appendages may have to be checked for definite identification. Inner side of cerci in American bumpy, in Canyon smoothly curved; paraprocts diverge more in American than Canyon. Females differ a bit more: front of thorax metallic in both but greenish in Canyon, often reddish in American. Some American appear green, however, and distinction might have to be based on presence or absence of stigma. Perhaps best identification feature in side view is that female Canyon typically has wider antehumeral stripe and no complete stripe below (posterior to) hindwings, whereas American has one or more distinct stripes there.
Natural History Males come to water within a few hours of sunrise to rest on rocks or twigs at riffles in sun or shade; tend to return to same spot or at least immediate area every day for up to 2 weeks. Males engage in brief (average 21 sec) horizontal circling flights over water in defense of territories; sometimes these flights prolonged. Females arrive at water about 2 hr after males. Males mate only every few days, then guard females as they oviposit underwater for a few minutes or up to an hour. Also may take female in tandem again after she emerges from one egg-laying bout, then search for another oviposition site, unusual behavior for damselfly. Then returns to territory and reclaims it. Both sexes sally after aerial insect prey from branches and leaves well above stream in early morning sun and again late in afternoon.
Habitat Wooded canyon streams with rocky riffles; more attracted to shaded streams than American Rubyspot and averaging higher elevation. Disappears from smaller streams that dry up during drought years.
Flight Season AZ Mar–Nov, NM Jul–Oct.
Distribution Ranges south in uplands to Honduras.
5
Canyon Rubyspot male—Sonora, Mexico, September 2005; female—Sonora, Mexico, July 2006, Doug Danforth
Description Large black damselfly with variably colored wings. Male: Eyes very dark brown, almost black. Body entirely black with slight greenish gloss, fine tan stripes on thorax. Usually with red patch in forewing obscured by dark patch in hindwing, most visible in flight. Female: Eyes brown over tan, many with conspicuous striped or spotted pattern. Thorax with metallic green markings on pale brown; abdomen mostly black. Wings vary from dusky to black, with no red and contrasty white stigmas. Only rubyspot with greatly varied wing coloration in both sexes, ranging from entirely black to mostly clear, with all in-between types. Extreme wingtips dark, more extensive in individuals with more black at base and tip and base coming together to produce entirely black wings. At least in Texas, individuals later in flight season tend to have more extensively dark wings, but all extremes can be seen throughout season.
Identification Individuals with mostly dark wings easily distinguished from other rubyspots and all other damselflies. Males with most lightly marked wings distinguishable from other rubyspots by black body, from other damselflies by large size, dense venation. Good mark for males that are silhouetted is that line of demarcation between dark base and clear tip of wing usually strongly slanted, almost perpendicular to wing in other male rubyspots. Females differ from female American Rubyspot in having less conspicuously striped thorax, markings green and brown, and almost always darker wings.
Natural History Tend to perch higher than American Rubyspot, usually on shaded pools rather than low on open riffles. Females not at water unless mating. Males engage in display flights, circling one another for at least brief periods and moving up- and downstream. Tandem pairs often seen flying about, presumably looking for good oviposition site. Females oviposit underwater for long periods (up to 2 hr) with males perched above driving other males away from spot.
Habitat Slower streams in woodland, tends to be in more heavily shaded areas than American Rubyspot, also less likely to be at rocky riffles. Aquatic vegetation or rootlets from stream-bank trees essential for oviposition.
Flight Season TX Mar–Dec.
Distribution Widespread in East from Wisconsin and Pennsylvania south to southern Florida; also ranges south in lowlands to Costa Rica.
Rubyspots - male appendages
6.1
Smoky Rubyspot male—Hidalgo Co., TX, June 2005
6.2
Smoky Rubyspot male—Bexar Co., TX, July 2004
6.3
Smoky Rubyspot female—Starr Co., TX, November 2005
These are medium to large damselflies of worldwide distribution that usually hold their wings open, but several genera in the Old World keep them closed. All spreadwings close their wings at night, in bad weather, and when threatened by other odonates (as predators or males harassing females). Those in North America perch with long abdomen inclined downward, even vertically. Most are dark, with top of abdomen metallic and thorax metallic or with metallic stripes or spots, often also with pale stripes. Overall, they are not brightly colored, but males of our genera have blue eyes and face, and some Australian species are colored like bluets. Females of only a few species show blue colors. All have clear wings with stigma longer than in pond damsels, a definitive mark, and long legs with very long leg spines, as befits a predator of flying insects. Most are distinctly larger than pond damsels. World 151, NA 19, West 16.
These are large damselflies with outspread wings, both species being larger than any pond spreadwing and much larger than any North American pond damsel. Unlike pond spreadwings, they show conspicuous pale stripes on sides of thorax. Males have blue eyes, females brown or blue (perhaps age variation). Mature males develop pruinosity on abdomen tip. They are found typically on streams but stray to ponds regularly, especially those associated with streams, and sometimes breed in them; they prefer fishless waters, where larvae swim in the open like little minnows. Natural history is much like that of pond spreadwings. Males perch on branches and leaves over water, and pairs oviposit in woody stems, sometimes well above water. Other species occur from Mexico to Argentina. World 8, NA 2, West 2.
7 Great Spreadwing Archilestes grandis TL 50–62, HW 31–40
Description Very large spreadwing (largest North American damselfly) with yellow stripe on either side of thorax. Underside of thorax pale, becoming lightly pruinose. Abdomen dark brown to dark metallic green above. Male: Eyes and labrum blue. Thorax brown in front with full-length metallic green stripe on either side of midline, half-length stripe at rear edge of brown; sides yellow with another lighter brown stripe along lower sides, whole area developing pruinosity at maturity. Abdomen brown to black above with black apical rings on S3–7; S9–10 pruinose. Female: Eyes blue to brown, colored as male but distinguished by bulbous abdomen tip lacking pruinosity.
Identification Great Spreadwing looks twice the size of POND SPREADWINGS, in steady flight over open water easily mistaken for dragonfly, but wings and body much more slender. See California Spreadwing, rather similar but smaller and paler, with white side stripe and pale stigmas. Paraprocts diverge under cerci, so barely visible from above (in California Spreadwing, paraprocts short and parallel, their rounded tips visible from above).
Natural History Males perch over water, defend small territories. Females seized when they arrive. Pairs oviposit in tandem (or female released during oviposition) in leaf petioles or stems of herbaceous or woody plants, sometimes well above water (perhaps highest known odonate oviposition at 44 feet above water). Oviposition lasts 15–180 min, with up to 230 eggs laid.
Habitat Slow streams, usually with wooded banks; larvae may be seen swimming in open in pools. Less likely to be at ponds than California Spreadwing.
Flight Season CA Mar–Jan, AZ Apr–Dec, NM May–Oct, NE Aug–Oct, TX Mar–Dec.
Distribution Also east to southern New England and north Georgia; ranges south in uplands to Venezuela.
7.1
Great Spreadwing male—Sonora, Mexico, August 2006, Netta Smith
7.2
Great Spreadwing female—Chihuahua, Mexico, September 2005
8 California Spreadwing Archilestes californicus TL 42–60, HW 26–35
Description Very large brown spreadwing with white-striped thorax. Male: Eyes and labrum blue, thorax brown in front, white on sides, with metallic brown stripe on either side of midline and similar short stripe occupying middle third at rear edge of brown. Abdomen brown above, darker areas slightly metallic dark brown with faint indication of green; S9–10 pruinose. Female: Eyes dull blue to brown; colored as male but no pruinosity, abdomen with bulbous tip.
Identification Overall impression one of dullness, with dark areas brown rather than bright metallic. Only Great Spreadwing exceeds this species in size, and it is quite similar, but darker overall and more metallic green. Pale side stripe on Great usually yellow rather than white as in California. Dark metallic stripe before pale stripe extends up almost to wing base (but not always) in Great, long oval in midsegment in California. Stigmas darker in Great, blackish versus tan. Immature Great may have white side stripe, must be distinguished by other characters. See Great Spreadwing for difference in male appendages.
Natural History Males perch over water, often conspicuously in open on dead twigs, and defend small territories. Wings occasionally twitched closed about 30°, then reopened in two steps; stigmas prominent, perhaps a display. Copulation lasts many minutes. Pairs oviposit in woody tissue, often in willow or alder branches, up to 10 feet above water. With 6 eggs neatly laid, the pair moves slightly downward and repeats process, laying 70–180 eggs at a session. More common at water after midday. Sometimes encountered far from water, even out in open sagebrush.
Habitat Slow streams, sometimes ponds or lakes associated with them.
8.1
California Spreadwing male—Benton Co., WA, August 2005
8.2
California Spreadwing female—Kittitas Co., WA, August 2002, Dan Bárta
Flight Season WA Jul–Nov, OR Jun–Nov, CA Jun–Dec, AZ Jul–Nov.
Distribution Ranges south in Mexico to Baja California Sur and Sonora.
Mature males have entirely bright blue eyes (more purplish with age, at least in some species), paler blue to whitish below, and pale blue labrum; male eye color is not included in description unless different. Females usually have brown eyes and light brown to yellow labrum, but in at least some species females occur with blue eyes and labrum; it is not yet known whether this is a function of age or perhaps genetic polymorphism, with brown and blue females as in some pond damsels. Tenerals are brown, then develop darker rings on middle abdominal segments, then become dark metallic above (green in most species), then develop definitive coloration. Males become increasingly pruinose gray (or blue-gray) with age with pruinosity between wing bases and along sides of thorax, and in some species, the thorax becoming entirely pruinose gray. In mature males part or all of S1 and S2 become pruinose; also S9 and usually S10 are pruinose, sometimes extending onto S8. The pattern of pruinosity may be distinctive of the species but also increases with age. Northern species and populations have more pruinosity on the abdomen, typically S8–10 pruinose, whereas southern species and populations often have S9 or S9–10 pruinose. The pattern on S2 is quite distinctive for some species. Females develop less pruinosity, typically with age, on the thorax and sometimes abdomen tip, at its most extreme about as pruinose as males of their species. Mature color pattern is sufficiently variable that many will have to be captured to be sure of identification. Species distinction often must be based on appendage structure, less often on color pattern of the thorax; ovipositor size and shape are important in females. Sex is readily distinguished by shape, with females exhibiting shorter, thicker abdomen with expanded tip.
Pond spreadwings are found on every continent (although barely into Australia); they are diverse in both temperate and tropical latitudes and often are among the most common damselflies at marshy ponds and lakes. Male arrival at water averages later in the day than pond damsels. Individuals are found away from water, often in woodland, where they forage in sunny spots and may take as much as several months to mature. Because of this, immature individuals will often present an identification challenge. Pond spreadwings tend to perch higher than pond damsels and forage by flycatching. They also tend to stay in vegetation, but at times and places males may move out over open water in some numbers, flying low over the surface like pond damsels but never hovering. Oviposition usually is in tandem, and females less often oviposit alone. Eggs are laid in vertical sedge or rush stems above water with the female either staying at one level on the stem or moving up or down. World 84, NA 17, West 14.
Table 1 Pond Spreadwing (Lestes) Identification
9 Chalky Spreadwing Lestes sigma TL 39–43, HW 20–23
Description Most highly pruinose of trio of tropical spreadwings of southern border areas. Stigmas somewhat bicolored, conspicuously paler at outer end. Male: Mature male with entire thorax pruinose. Abdomen metallic brown above, with S1, two-thirds of S2, and S8–9, often S10, pruinose at maturity. Female: Also becomes heavily pruinose at maturity, with blue eyes. Immatures of both sexes with pale thorax, only dark markings a pair of spots in front near wing bases, a wavy and incomplete stripe corresponding to rear edge of dark area of other species, and small spots on lower sides barely visible from side. S8–10 distinctly pale. Dark spots on front and dark stripe on side of thorax often visible through pruinosity on both sexes, especially when front still darker than sides.
9.1
Chalky Spreadwing male—Hidalgo Co., TX, June 2005
9.2
Chalky Spreadwing female—Hidalgo Co., TX, May 2002, Robert A. Behrstock
9.3
Chalky Spreadwing immature female—Hidalgo Co., TX, June 2005
Identification Mature males with entirely pruinose thorax unmistakable, not coexisting with any other species showing such heavy pruinosity. Immatures easily distinguished because of largely pale thorax with sparse patterning. Immatures of both sexes with distinctive sharply bicolored stigmas, outer third yellow to orange, but become dark when mature. Occurs with Plateau, Rainpool, and Southern Spreadwings.
Natural History Males perch in low sedges and grasses at water’s edge or in dense vegetation beds; pairs oviposit in same places. Present in nearby woodland when not at water.
Habitat Shallow ponds and marshes with much emergent vegetation, typically at wetlands that fill only during rainy season.
Flight Season TX May–Nov.
Distribution Ranges south in lowlands to Costa Rica.
10 Plateau Spreadwing Lestes alacer TL 34–45, HW 19–25
Description Distinctively marked species of southern Great Plains and Southwest. Male: Thorax with wide median black stripe, relatively wide tan or blue (with maturity) antehumeral stripe with straight edges, and narrow black humeral stripe. Sides pale brown, becoming pruinose in older individuals; pruinosity creeping onto humeral stripe and, in some, mostly obscuring it. From above, S9–10 pruinose, S8 becoming so in older individuals. Female: Thoracic pattern similar to male. As in males, oldest females develop blue eyes and blue antehumeral stripes, wide humeral stripe more prominent than in male because no pruinosity on sides. Immature with wide black stripe on front of thorax contrasting with entirely pale sides in both sexes.
Identification Thoracic pattern of rather wide and straight-edged median stripe, conspicuously pale antehumeral stripe, narrow black humeral stripe, and lighter sides best combination of marks to distinguish Plateau from other spreadwings in its range. Southern also has pale antehumeral stripes, but they are more irregular, inner and/or outer margin somewhat jagged.
Natural History Males and tandem pairs in marsh vegetation. Males may be common at breeding habitats, immatures common in open woodland. Pairs oviposit in herbaceous vegetation, typically upright sedge and spikerush stems. Mature adults roost, at times communally, in woody vegetation as much as a half mile from water. May spend winter/dry season in woodland away from water.
Habitat Permanent or temporary ponds and seep springs with emergent vegetation, from lowlands well up into mountains. Tolerant of saline conditions.
Flight Season AZ Mar–Nov, NM Jan–Oct, TX all year.
Distribution Ranges south in uplands to Costa Rica.
10.1
Plateau Spreadwing male—Sonora, Mexico, September 2005
10.2
Plateau Spreadwing female—Sonora, Mexico, September 2005
10.3
Plateau Spreadwing immature female—Hidalgo Co., TX, June 2005
Description Distinctively marked spreadwing, only in Texas. Male: Thorax with median stripe consisting of narrow metallic green stripe on either side of midline, then wide bright blue antehumeral stripe (darkens with age), another narrow metallic green humeral stripe, and whitish below. Abdomen mostly dark, variably pruinose (always S9 but may extend to S8 and/or S10). Female: Eyes brown, becoming dull bluish or greenish on top. Looks paler than male, thorax pale olive with blue tinge, both dark stripes very thin; lower sides and underside white, becoming faintly pruinose. From side, S8–10 prominently pale and becoming pruinose.
Identification Only spreadwing in range with narrow metallic stripes on either side of midline of thorax, visible at any age. Thus, no prominent dark median stripe, as in overlapping Plateau and Southern Spreadwings. Median ridge of thorax pale, unlike other species in range, and humeral stripe very narrow, not evident at a distance. Overall effect blue- and green-striped thorax in mature males. Contrasting pale sides of abdominal tip characteristic of mature females.
Natural History Tropical-based species that spends dry season away from water, then returns to rain pools to breed in wet season. All-year flight season in Texas may indicate same life cycle with dormancy in winter. Males and ovipositing pairs can be common in vegetation at shallow ponds, especially ephemeral ones. Pairs oviposit in upright plant stems at water level and up to a foot above it, sometimes female submerging her abdomen.
Habitat Shallow ponds and marshes with much emergent vegetation. Often common at seasonal pools but may occur in permanent waters, both swamps and marshes.
Flight Season TX all year.
Distribution Ranges south in lowlands to Argentina.
11.1
Rainpool Spreadwing male—Hidalgo Co., TX, November 2005
11.2
Rainpool Spreadwing female—Hidalgo Co., TX, November 2005
Description Rather dull brown spreadwing with bicolored thorax showing prominent spots on underside. Male: Thorax brown, somewhat metallic in front, with very narrow tan antehumeral stripe and pruinose lower sides. Black humeral stripe wider above, usually widening abruptly in two steps to reach rear of hindwing base. Pair of black spots on each side of underside of thorax, just visible from side. Abdomen metallic dark brown above, S1–2 and S8–10 pruinose with maturity. Female: Eyes brown, paler below. Patterned as male but with pruinosity only on sides of thorax.
Identification In hand, and perhaps in side view when close, two dark spots on either side of thorax distinctive; other species may show one spot on each side, regularly in superficially similar Northern, Southern, and Sweetflag in same range. Very narrow antehumeral stripes, so front of thorax looks dark brown or even black and contrasts strongly with whitish sides in mature individuals of both sexes. Characteristic stepped line of demarcation between black front and pale rear of thorax distinctive but shared by Black Spreadwing in its limited range and quite different-looking Swamp Spreadwing. Black very similar to but somewhat stockier than Spotted and less likely to be spotted under thorax; male paraprocts longer and female ovipositor larger. Black also has much earlier flight season, teneral Spotted appearing in July when Black season finishing. Spotted appears to be only species in range with lower surface of eyes brown in mature males. Pruinosity at abdomen tip not quite as pale and conspicuous in Spotted as in Emerald, Lyre-tipped, and Northern at same times and places.
12.1
Spotted Spreadwing male—Grant Co., WA, August 2007
12.2
Spotted Spreadwing female—Grant Co., WA, August 2007
Natural History Roosts mostly in woodland to 10 feet or more above ground, even well up in canopy of tall forests; in open country, in tall grass and shrubs. Most likely of northwestern pond spreadwings to be in woods. Males can be abundant in tall emergent vegetation, pairs also reach high density. Many pairs mate away from water, then fly to oviposition site in tandem. Pairs oviposit from water surface to several feet above it, usually in slender stems and commonly over land at dried-up lake edges. Although some variation in substrates used for egg deposition, dead stems of bulrushes chosen in many areas. Pairs usually move downward on stem while ovipositing, single eggs deposited every few millimeters. Females often continue laying eggs after being released by male, especially in late afternoon.
Habitat Ponds and lakes of all sizes with at least some emergent vegetation. In West, usually only spreadwing at large lakes with cattails and bulrushes. Can live in quite saline lakes as long as vegetation present.
Flight Season YT Jul, BC Jun–Oct, AB Jul–Oct, WA Jun–Nov, OR May–Nov, CA May–Dec, MT Jul–Oct, AZ Jun–Sep, NM Apr–Oct, NE Jun–Oct.
Distribution Ranges across northeastern North America south to northern Alabama and Virginia.
13 Northern Spreadwing Lestes disjunctus TL 33–42, HW 18–23
Description Common pond spreadwing all across northern North America. Male: Thorax in mature individuals varies from dark in front, pruinose on sides, with narrow blue antehumeral stripe and sometimes very narrow blue median stripe, to entirely pruinose (much less common). These differences seem characteristic of populations or at least at one time and place. Abdomen metallic dark green above, S1–2 and S8–10 becoming completely pruinose with maturity. Pruinosity may vary with locality, age, or individual; not known. Female: Polymorphic, eyes brown or blue. Thorax with wide dark median stripe, wide dark humeral stripe widest at upper end, greenish or tan (blue in andromorph) antehumeral stripe narrowing at upper end, white lower sides and underside. Abdomen entirely blackish above. Some females become almost as pruinose as males, in same areas of thorax and abdomen, perhaps limited to andromorphs.
Identification Looks superficially exactly like several other pond spreadwings, especially Southern and Sweetflag (see those species). Also much like Lyre-tipped, but both sexes differ in color of rear of head and stigmas (see that species) as well as differently shaped paraprocts that can be seen in hand and, with good view, in field. Remaining species in range all have differently colored thorax.
Natural History Mostly in herbaceous vegetation, may be some distance from water. Males frequent beds of dense emergent vegetation, perching from just above water to waist height, and can be very common there. Also present in more scattered vegetation and flying back and forth over open water. Sometimes breeds in shallow vegetated ponds that dry up each summer, more typical habitat of Emerald and Lyre-tipped Spreadwings. Females and tandem pairs arrive at water at midday, ovipositing pairs common through afternoon. Copulation lasts about 15 min. Pairs oviposit on live stems of bulrushes and sedges or dead stems of rushes and up to several feet above water, placing up to 6 eggs in one incision. Pairs also seen ovipositing entirely under water, coming up for air at intervals and then submerging again; unusual behavior in spreadwing. Sexual maturation in 16–18 days.
Habitat Well-vegetated ponds and lakes of all kinds; common in boggy situations.
13
Northern Spreadwing pruinose male—150 Mile House, BC, July 2006, Netta Smith; striped male—Kittitas Co., WA, August 2005; female—Kittitas Co., WA, September 2007
Flight Season YT Jun–Sep, BC Jun–Oct, AB Jul–Sep, WA Jun–Oct, OR May–Sep, CA Apr–Oct, MT Jun–Nov, AZ Jul–Sep, NM Jul–Sep, NE May–Aug.
Distribution Mountains of Southwest. Ranges of this and Southern Spreadwing incompletely known, may overlap on Great Plains. Also from northern Ontario and Labrador south to Indiana and West Virginia.
14 Southern Spreadwing Lestes australis TL 36–46, HW 18–25
Description Common, brightly patterned eastern species. Male: Front of thorax metallic brown-black with light brown antehumeral stripe becoming blue with maturity. Light yellowish below, becoming whitish pruinose. From above, S9 heavily pruinose, S10 becoming lightly so in older individuals; S8 pruinose only low on sides. Female: Eyes usually brown, may be blue-tinged with maturity. Colored much like male but not pruinose, antehumeral stripe usually pale tan.
Identification Overlaps with very similar Sweetflag Spreadwing and perhaps with Northern Spreadwing at eastern edge of region. Distribution of spreadwings poorly known on plains, but Southern might coexist with Northern and Sweetflag in Nebraska. Probably not distinguishable except in hand from Northern by slightly larger size, males by blunt distal spine on cerci (sharper in Northern), slightly curved paraprocts (straight in Northern). Southern even more similar to male Sweetflag but differs in slightly narrower apical notch on S10 and slightly curved rather than straight paraprocts. In addition, male Southern never seem to develop completely pruinose thorax, as happens in some Northern and Sweetflag, and typically lack pruinosity on top of S9 (Sweetflag usually has it). Southern female easily distinguished from Sweetflag by much smaller ovipositor, but extremely similar to female Northern and may not be distinguishable.
14.1
Southern Spreadwing male—Dade Co., GA, May 2006
14.2
Southern Spreadwing female—Hidalgo Co., TX, June 2005
Natural History Adults spend about 2 weeks away from water in sexual maturation, then another 10 days at water (maximum 50). Males occupy perches in grass and shrubs at water’s edge for long periods, but little aggression is shown among individuals. May spend all day at water, visit only in morning, or show both morning and afternoon visits. Females come to water in afternoon, and mating peaks in later afternoon. Copulation takes 6–19 min, and pair spends an hour in tandem. Oviposition in standing reed stems above water. Both sexes average two matings during lifetime.
Habitat A wide variety of ponds and lakes with aquatic vegetation.
Flight Season TX Mar–Dec.
Distribution Ranges of this and Northern Spreadwing incompletely known. May overlap on Great Plains. Also throughout much of eastern United States.
Comments This species was long considered a subspecies of Lestes disjunctus, under the name Common Spreadwing. With some structural differences and a somewhat different flight season, it probably deserves its rank as a full species, but genetic differences between the two are less than those between most species of spreadwings.
Description Northern spreadwing frustratingly similar to several others, best identified in field by looking for large ovipositor on females in pairs. Male: Thorax black in front with narrow blue-green antehumeral stripe, pale below, may be entirely gray pruinose in mature individuals. Abdomen metallic green-black above, becoming pruinose on S1, basal two-thirds of S2, and S8–10. Pruinosity heaviest of any northwestern North American spreadwing, less pruinose on plains and eastward. Female: Eyes blue as in male. Thoracic pattern of broad dark median and humeral stripes and fairly broad pale antehumeral stripes as in similar spreadwings but more likely to become covered by pruinosity; also S8–10 become pruinose. Thus, female colored as male, but shaped very differently.
15.1
Sweetflag Spreadwing male—Pend Oreille Co., WA, August 2004
15.2
Sweetflag Spreadwing pair with pruinose female—Pend Oreille Co., WA, August 2003
15.3
Sweetflag Spreadwing nonpruinose female—Walker Co., GA, July 2006, Marion Dobbs
Identification In northwestern part of range, usually separable from Northern Spreadwing by slightly larger size and much heavier pruinosity, occupying all of thorax in mature males and many females. Occasional male or female Northern is heavily pruinose, so trait may not be definitive but often indicative where they occur together. Farther east, unfortunately, neither sex of mature Sweetflag seems to attain this level of pruinosity. At close range, look at S2 from above; entirely pruinose in Northern, apical third not so in Sweetflag. This character quite indicative but might not be definitive in all populations. In hand, easiest structural difference to see in male is shape of notch at rear of S10, rounded and wider in Sweetflag and pointed and narrower in Northern. Sweetflag also has longer hamules, 1.7 mm long or more in ventral view, with stalk longer than narrow pointed blade. You may have to compare species to see these microscopic differences. Also overlaps with Southern locally in Great Plains; see that species. Females easily distinguished from Northern and all other North American spreadwings by ovipositor size, tip of ovipositor valves extending to or usually beyond tip of cerci unique in this species. Keep in mind that male pond spreadwings are well known to achieve tandem with wrong species!
Natural History Males and pairs can be common in appropriate habitat; mating and oviposition occur mostly in afternoon. Pairs usually oviposit in live stems of upright bulrushes, rushes, and cattails in fairly open stands up to several feet above shallow water or mud. Also in low sedges and buckbeans in floating mats. Heavily pruinose females may perch in open at waterside like males.
Habitat Ponds and lakes with emergent vegetation, often associated with bogs or fens. Sometimes in temporary ponds that dry during late summer.
Flight Season YT Jul–Aug, BC Jun–Aug, WA Jul–Sep, NE May–Jul.
Distribution Range doubtless much more extensive in West than shown from verified records, as identification long confused with Northern Spreadwing. Also throughout East from Ontario and Nova Scotia south to Arkansas and Virginia.
16 Lyre-tipped Spreadwing Lestes unguiculatus TL 31–44, HW 17–24
Description Common northern spreawing of temporary wetlands. Male: Thorax dark metallic brown in front, with narrow blue-green or tan median line and humeral stripes; sides pale blue to whitish with pruinosity. Abdomen metallic dark green or brown above; S1, sides of S2, sides and sometimes top of S8, and S9–10 pruinose with maturity. Some males at maturity, however, lack pruinosity; pairs of both types seen together. Female: Eyes brown or blue. Thorax metallic brown in front with narrow median line and wider antehumeral stripe pale blue-green or yellow, sides pale blue-green or yellow. Abdomen entirely metallic brown to green above.
Identification Looks about like Northern and Sweetflag Spreadwings in field, similarly variable. In hand, lyre-shaped paraprocts provide definitive identification. Note that long, straight paraprocts of Northern might be crossed at ends. In both sexes (important to identify females), Lyre-tipped has rear of head pale, others dark, and stigmas usually with pale ends in Lyre-tipped, entirely dark in others (many spreadwings have just the veins at either end of the stigma white). Note that light pruinosity eventually covers rear of head in mature males of all three. Another distinction of males is that Northern and Sweetflag typically have upper surface of S2 mostly or entirely pruinose, whereas pruinosity appears only on side of this segment in Lyre-tipped. Typically, pattern of pruinosity in Lyre-tipped forms dark V in top view of S8, whereas in the other two, this segment is entirely pruinose, but some variation makes this an indicative character. Females and immature males may have dark areas quite metallic green, need to be distinguished from Emerald Spreadwing by head and stigma color, male paraprocts, and smaller ovipositor.
16.1
Lyre-tipped Spreadwing male—Winneshiek Co., IA, July 2004
16.2
Lyre-tipped Spreadwing female—Winneshiek Co., IA, July 2004
Natural History Males spend much time at water resting on vertical stalks but do not defend perch sites, more commonly move from perch to perch. Approaching females taken in tandem immediately. Copulation lasts about 25 min but is often broken and resumed, accompanied by short flights in tandem. Pair then explores potential oviposition substrates for about a half-hour, then oviposits for over an hour, usually over relatively dry substrates rather than over water and typically backing down stem as eggs are laid. Pairs more and more common through afternoon. Female sometimes continues by herself. Living sedge, bulrush, bur-reed, and pitcher plant stems common substrates, and few hundred eggs laid at about 2/min, 1–2 per incision.
Habitat Shallow marshes and marshy edges of ponds and lakes, often in completely open areas and typically drying up in midsummer. These are exactly the habitats affected by drought, and this species declines wherever drought prevails in the West. However, also quick to colonize newly flooded areas, including farm ponds and other artificial wetlands, and usually most common spreadwing in prairie potholes. Immatures often abundant in grassy meadows.
Flight Season BC Jun–Aug, AB Jul–Sep, WA Jun–Sep, OR May–Sep, CA Jun–Sep, MT Jun–Aug, NE May–Oct.
Distribution Widespread in Northeast from southern Ontario and Nova Scotia south to Arkansas and Maryland.
Description Long-bodied spreadwing, S9 less than half as long as S7; males distinctly longer than females. Vein around extreme wingtips conspicuously pale. Male: Thorax black in front with rather wide blue antehumeral stripes, unmarked yellow on sides and underside. Abdomen typically lacking any pruinosity, but sometimes S9 pruinose, apparently more likely in northwestern part of range. Heavily pruinose between wing bases as all spreadwings. Female: Eyes blue or blue over yellow. Pattern on thorax and abdomen as in male, no pruinosity.
Identification Males distinguished from other spreadwings by virtual lack of pruinosity on abdomen as well as looking longer than any other species of similar body bulk. Pale vein at extreme wingtips distinctive of both sexes. Not metallic like larger Amber-winged, Elegant, and Swamp Spreadwings, colored more like Lyre-tipped, Northern, and Sweetflag, but reduced pruinosity distinctive. Absence of pruinosity always leaves pale blue antehumeral stripes good for identification in both sexes. Abdomen length in female close enough to that of Lyre-tipped and Northern that separating these three is difficult. Lyre-tipped usually has pale-tipped stigmas, but Northern and Slender are colored about the same. Presence of males might have to be used for identification.
Natural History Males in shrubs and low tree branches in swampy woodland, also dense herbaceous vegetation at lake shores. Can be abundant in woodland during maturation. Maturation in color in about 2 weeks, reproductive activity at 3 weeks. Mating may take place away from water, and females oviposit solo, unusual in spreadwings, and about a foot above water. Eggs commonly laid in cattails, 1 egg per incision. After maturation may live for 6 weeks.
17.1
Slender Spreadwing male—Wayne Co., OH, July 2007
17.2
Slender Spreadwing female—Winneshiek Co., IA, July 2004
Habitat Lakes and ponds with abundant emergent vegetation, usually associated with forest.
Flight Season NE May–Oct.
Distribution Widespread in the East from Ontario and Nova Scotia south to Louisiana and north Florida.
18 Emerald Spreadwing Lestes dryas TL 32–40, HW 19–25
Description Rather stocky spreadwing with front of thorax emerald-green. Male: Thorax metallic green in front with narrow pale antehumeral stripe present or not, pruinose white on sides. Abdomen metallic green above, at maturity becoming pruinose on S1–2 and S9–10, often extending to S8. Female: Brown or blue eyes at maturity. Thorax metallic green in front with narrow pale median line and antehumeral stripes. Abdomen entirely metallic green above, without pruinosity.
Identification Emerald green thorax and abdomen diagnostic along with stocky build (other green species such as Elegant Spreadwing are larger, longer), but bear in mind that in several species, even those in which adults lack green, dark part of abdomen may be green in immatures, and green highlight may show up on thorax. None is brilliant green like this species. Only species with similar structure is Black Spreadwing, so similar that it may be same species. Front of thorax usually dark brown to black in latter species. Thorax and abdomen of Emerald sometimes look brownish, especially younger individuals, and oldest males can look quite black above. Note widened tips of paraprocts of male.
18.1
Emerald Spreadwing male—150 Mile House, BC, July 2006, Netta Smith
18.2
Emerald Spreadwing green female—Skamania Co., WA, August 2005
18.3
Emerald Spreadwing bronze female—Chelan Co., WA, June 2004
Natural History Can be very common in shrublands and forest near breeding ponds. Breeding males and pairs tend to stay over dry rather than flooded parts of habitat. Pairs oviposit in live stems of sedges, grasses, and horsetails and hanging willow leaves, high above ground in the latter. One egg inserted in each incision.
Habitat Shallow ponds, marshes, and fens, often those that dry up in late summer; typically densely vegetated. Also found at edges of permanent wetlands but may not breed successfully where aquatic predators are common. Widely distributed from hot sagebrush steppe to cool boreal forest.
Flight Season YT Jun–Aug, BC May–Aug, AB Jun–Aug, WA Jun–Sep, OR May–Nov, CA Apr–Oct, MT Jun–Aug, AZ May–Jun, NM Jul–Aug, NE May–Jul.
Distribution In mountains in southern part of range. In East from southern Canada south to Iowa, Kentucky, and Maryland, also all across northern Eurasia.
Comments See under Black Spreadwing.
19 Black Spreadwing Lestes stultus TL 35–44, HW 21–26
Description Dark spreadwing of California, much like Emerald but blackish instead of green. Male: Thorax metallic bronzy-black in front with narrow pale greenish antehumeral stripes. Lower sides and underside whitish. Abdomen dark bronzy-brown to greenish above, pruinose on S1, basal two-thirds of S2, and S8–10 at maturity. Female: Eyes brown with bluish tinge above. Color pattern as male but no pruinosity.
Identification Much like Emerald Spreadwing in both sexes, but slightly larger and front of thorax dark brown to black, not emerald green. Antehumeral stripe evident in male Black, usually not in male Emerald; female Black usually with that stripe complete, incomplete at upper end in Emerald. There is variation in both sexes, however. The two may meet and intergrade in southern Oregon, but in addition, green color may show up on Black south of range of Emerald. In California, Black is early species of lowlands, Emerald later flier of mountains; not known to occur together. Black distinguished from other species occurring with it by short paraprocts in male and large ovipositor in female. Colored much like Spotted, but thorax with no spots on underside and dark side stripe not as wide at upper end (does not extend below base of hindwing); female ovipositor larger.
19.1
Black Spreadwing male—Glenn Co., CA, June 2004
19.2
Black Spreadwing female—Butte Co., CA, June 2004
Natural History Males perch on stems and leaves of emergent vegetation over shallow water. Pairs oviposit on live rushes or sedges.
Habitat Ponds, small marshy lakes, and slow streams with abundant emergent vegetation.
Flight Season CA Mar–Sep.
Comments This species is barely separable from the Emerald Spreadwing, and seeming intermediates between the two species have been found in southern Oregon. They probably should be considered of no more than subspecies rank, but no official change of status has been suggested.
20 Swamp Spreadwing Lestes vigilax TL 42–55, HW 23–27
Description Large metallic green spreadwing. Male: Eyes dark blue-green with pale blue highlight over yellow-green, looking somewhat bicolored. Thorax entirely metallic green to bronze in front or with narrow reddish-brown antehumeral stripe. Sides and underside pale yellow, becoming whitish pruinose, with pruinosity obscuring border between dark and light parts of thorax, originally a wavy line. Abdomen metallic green to bronze above, becoming pruinose on S1 and S8–10 at maturity; sides of S2 also pruinose. Female: Eyes brown over yellowish, blue in some (oldest?) individuals. Colored as male, but always with narrow pale reddish-brown antehumeral stripe. Abdomen duller than in male, with no pruinosity in most, but pruinose tip in a small percentage.
20.1
Swamp Spreadwing male—Murray Co., GA, June 2005, Marion Dobbs
20.2
Swamp Spreadwing female—Cumberland Co., ME, July 2006
20.3
Swamp Spreadwing immature female—Rabun Co., GA, July 2004, Giff Beaton
Identification Longer-bodied than most other species in range, bulkier than Slender Spreadwing and metallic green rather than dark brown above. Most like Elegant Spreadwing, which see.
Natural History Males usually perch in sheltered areas in shade, often in tangled vegetation, and are difficult to find. Tandem pairs oviposit in pickerelweed stems and other plants at water surface, even well out from shore. Dull immatures in dense herbaceous and shrubby vegetation near water.
Habitat Wooded ponds and lakes with abundant emergent vegetation, often where shrubs grow in shallow water. Slow streams and bog-margined lakes included in this description.
Flight Season TX May–Nov.
Distribution In East from southern Ontario and Nova Scotia south.
21 Elegant Spreadwing Lestes inaequalis TL 45–58, HW 25–31
Description Large metallic green spreadwing. Male: Eyes dark blue-green with bright blue highlight over pale blue-green, strongly bi-colored. Thorax metallic green to bronze in front, may show fine reddish-brown midline. Sides and underside pale yellow, rarely becoming whitish pruinose. Abdomen metallic green to bronze above, becoming pruinose on S9 and then S10 at maturity; sides of S1–2 also pruinose. Female: Eyes dark green over dull yellow to light green, strongly bicolored. Colored as male, but often with narrow pale reddish-brown antehumeral line. Minimal or no pruinosity on most, but underside of thorax and abdomen tip may become pruinose in oldest individuals.
Identification Impressively large size and mostly metallic upper side at maturity distinctive. Eyes more strikingly bicolored (actually tricolored) than in any other species but Swamp Spreadwing. Both sexes distinguished from that quite similar species by pale rear of head and pale tibiae (dark in mature Swamp but pale in immatures). Pruinosity in male Elegant usually not obscuring sharp border between front and sides of thorax as it does in Swamp. At close range, look for distinctive long paraprocts in male, extending beyond tips of cerci. Females distinguished from Swamp by slightly larger ovipositor valves, extending beyond lower edge of S10 and dark below (valves in Swamp entirely pale). Basal plate of ovipositor pointed in Swamp, squared off in Elegant. Typically, pale antehumeral stripe in female narrower in Elegant than in Swamp. Much longer-bodied than Emerald Spreadwing with similar green thorax.
21.1
Elegant Spreadwing male—Holmes Co., MS, May 2005, Giff Beaton
21.2
Elegant Spreadwing female—Fayette Co., IA, July 2004
Natural History Males conspicuous, perching low in shrubs and other emergent vegetation and flying over open water. Often in shade and more active later in day. Usually not very common. Reported to oviposit in water lily leaves, unusual for a spreadwing.
Habitat Lakes, ponds, and slow streams with abundant vegetation, in or out of woodland. Most likely pond spreadwing at edge of slow streams.
Flight Season TX May–Aug.
Distribution In East from southern Ontario and Quebec south to north Florida.
22 Amber-winged Spreadwing Lestes eurinus TL 42–52, HW 26–30
Description Large green and yellow spreadwing with amber-tinted wings and distinctive markings on sides of thorax. Male: Thorax metallic greenish in front without pale stripes; lower sides and underside yellow with irregular dark stripes, becoming whitish pruinose. Abdomen metallic dark green, S1 and S9–10 (more rarely S8) pruinose above. Female: Eyes blue above, yellow below. Thorax as in male but does not become pruinose.
Identification No other spreadwing has amber wings, and no other spreadwing has dark stripes across bright yellow sides of thorax. Bulkiest of pond spreadwings, although Elegant and Swamp are as long. Superficially most like those two species because of large size, green thorax, and sparse pruinosity but differs in wing color and very short paraprocts. Most like Swamp, mature male differs in pruinosity usually on S9–10 rather than S8–10, although probably total overlap. Best mark short paraprocts when they can be seen, as well as wing coloration. Differs further from Elegant in having entirely dark tibiae. Bicolored blue and yellow eyes of female also distinctive, although shared with female Swamp Spreadwing.
Natural History Males more active flyers along lake shores and out over open water than other spreadwings, impressively large and fast, perhaps while searching for females. Appears more likely to take larger prey such as other damselflies, including teneral spreadwings. Females oviposit in tandem or solo from just above water to several feet up on sedge, cattail, rush, and bur-reed stems, also on top of water lily leaves. Eggs laid in clusters, averaging 6–7 per cluster.
Habitat Variety of permanent lakes and ponds with at least some emergent vegetation; has been found in everything from bog lakes to pasture ponds.
Flight Season MO May–Aug.
Distribution In Northeast from southern Ontario and Newfoundland south to Missouri, northern Georgia, and Virginia.
22.1
Amber-winged Spreadwing male—Sussex Co., NJ, June 2005, Allen Barlow
22.2
Amber-winged Spreadwing pair—Grafton Co., NH, June 2006
This largest family of damselflies is the second-largest family of odonates. Almost anywhere in the world, they are usually the most common damselflies in open ponds and marshes. There are also many species on streams, but other families often dominate on tropical streams, and most damselflies have narrow wings; thus, a commonly used name “narrow-winged damsels” is not used here. They are generally small species, a few as large as spreadwings. The wings are held closed in all but a few species in which they are held half-open, less open than in spreadwings. The color pattern has similar elements in almost all genera. The eyes in most are black or dark brown above, brightly colored below, and it is that color that is used in their description. The “face” (labrum, anteclypeus, and clypeus) is often paler than the top of the head, and most species have postocular spots, pale spots contrasting with the dark head just in from the back of each eye; they may be connected by a pale line of the same color or not. Typically, the thorax has a dark median stripe, a pale antehumeral stripe, and a dark humeral stripe, the sides and underside pale. Sometimes the pale stripe is interrupted. In males, the abdomen is all dark or all pale or some combination of dark and pale, often with a contrastingly colored tip. Females usually have slightly thicker abdomens than males (they carry all those eggs), and an ovipositor is present but not usually as prominent as in spreadwings. Females typically but not always share the male’s head and thorax pattern but usually have the abdomen darker above, with less pattern. Females in some genera are polymorphic, one morph colored more like the male, the other duller. World 1082, NA 103, West 87.
This diverse group of temperate Eurasian species with a few North American representatives look essentially like typical blue American bluets, Enallagma, but may or may not be closely related to them. No field characters differentiate males collectively, so they will have to be distinguished individually from various American bluets as well as each other. From above, black on female abdomen covers the entire upper surface of each segment except for a narrow basal ring, whereas black on middle segments of many American bluets bulges at the posterior end and tapers at the anterior end somewhat like a torpedo. Black markings fall well short of front of segment in Enallagma, leaving a more conspicuous ring. Also, female Enallagma usually have at least one distinct dark stripe visible around the middle of each eye, but Coenagrion lack these stripes. In hand, male Coenagrion have forked paraprocts in side view, shared by a few Enallagma, and females lack vulvar spine, present in Enallagma. In habits they resemble Enallagma but tend to be more common in dense herbaceous vegetation. World 40, NA 3, West 3.
23 Prairie Bluet Coenagrion angulatum TL 27–33, HW 16–22
Description Mostly black-bodied bluet of plains. Male: Eyes black over pale greenish. Thorax with wide black median and moderate humeral stripe, blue antehumeral about as wide as humeral; also fine but conspicuous black line low on side of thorax. S1–2 blue, S2 with black subapical bar; S3–6 black with basal blue rings, widest on S3 and becoming narrower to rear; S7 almost entirely black; S8–9 blue, S10 blue on sides. Female: Polymorphic, pale areas greenish or blue. Thorax striped as in male. Abdomen entirely black above, conspicuously pale on sides, with narrow pale rings at end of each segment, slightly wider and distinctly blue on S7–9; S8 with pair of dorsal blue spots at base.
Identification Few other male bluets in its range with blue S1–2 and S8–9 but mostly black middle abdominal segments. Barely overlaps with Skimming Bluet, which is smaller and has top of S2 and virtually all of S3–8 black. FORKTAILS in its range have green-striped thorax. Stream Bluet, in different habitat and more slender, differs in same way in color pattern as Skimming. Of closely related species, female much like Taiga Bluet but pale spots at base of S8 distinctive. Much less pale color on abdomen than vividly ringed Subarctic Bluet. Co-occurring species of AMERICAN BLUETS (Enallagma) such as Alkali, Boreal, Familiar, Northern, River, and Tule also have broader rings of pale color on middle segments and characteristic torpedo shape of black on each segment rather than straight edge of Eurasian bluet. However, two Enallagma, Hagen’s and Marsh Bluets, are rather similar to Coenagrion because the abdominal markings are less obviously different. Nevertheless, both have bulges that hint at the torpedo pattern; they also lack the basal spots on S8 and have smaller postocular spots than Prairie Bluet. Always check for dark horizontal stripes around the eyes to be sure if you have an Enallagma (striped) or a Coenagrion (not).
23
Prairie Bluet male—Ward Co., ND, June 2003, Tom D. Schultz; female—Devon, AB, July 1995, John Acorn
Natural History Extremely abundant at some prairie wetlands. Males common in dense grass rather than over open water. Sexual maturation takes about a week. Copulation for 20 min or more. Oviposition typically in tandem on submergent vegetation at surface. In emergent vegetation, pair backs down under water and may remain for up to 30 min, then floats to surface and flies away, still in tandem. Females lay 150–200 eggs in each of several clutches.
Habitat Prairie lakes, ponds, sloughs, and slow streams, usually with much marsh vegetation, some of them sufficiently shallow to go dry at times.
Flight Season BC Jun, SK May–Jul.
Distribution Also east to James Bay and Iowa.
24 Subarctic Bluet Coenagrion interrogatum TL 28–32, HW 17–21
Description Far northern bluet with divided antehumeral stripes. Male: Eyes black over blue. Blue with extensive black markings. Moderate median and humeral stripes, blue antehumeral slightly wider than humeral and divided near upper end, looking something like exclamation mark (although interrogatum means to question!). Conspicuous black stripe on side of thorax expanded at upper and lower ends. Abdomen blue with prominent black U on S2 with arms wider than base, S3 with black apical ring, then each subsequent segment with more and more black, so S4 appears half black, S5 three-quarters black, S6 seven-eighths black, and S7 with very narrow blue basal ring; S7 also has blue tip, S8–9 blue, and S10 black above. Female: Polymorphic, either blue like male or green. Eyes brown over pale green. Thoracic stripes as in male. Abdomen mostly black above, but S1 pale, S2 extensively pale on sides, forming black torpedo but with exaggerated base; conspicuously pale basal ring on S3–8, also larger area on S8–9, and S10 pale.
24
Subarctic Bluet male, female—Oneida Co., WI, June 2005, Mike Reese
Identification Divided antehumeral stripe distinctive, as is conspicuous black stripe low on sides of thorax with bulges in it like string of pearls. Extensive blue on abdomen base and tip not like any other western bluet, and easily distinguished because of thoracic pattern in any case. Female distinguished from other bluets by divided antehumeral stripe and much pale color at abdomen tip. No other bluet in range has most of S9–10 blue as well as tip of S8.
Natural History Males and pairs in tandem in dense vegetation, not usually over open water; copulating pairs often perch in shrubs up to head height. Pairs or lone females have oviposited in floating sedge and grass leaves and stems and upright grass stems.
Habitat Boreal fens and bogs, usually associated with sphagnum and other aquatic mosses but often in shrubs.
Flight Season YT May–Aug, BC May–Aug, AB May–Aug, WA Jul, MT May–Jul.
Distribution Ranges east, mostly in Canada, to Maine and Newfoundland.
25 Taiga Bluet Coenagrion resolutum TL 27–33, HW 15–20
Description Widespread and common northern bluet of sedge marshes with much black on abdomen and U-shaped mark on S2; lower sides of thorax sometimes greenish. Male: Eyes black over blue-green. Thorax with wide median and moderate humeral stripe, relatively narrow antehumeral stripe sometimes broken into exclamation point. Fine black line just behind humeral stripe from wing base halfway down thorax. Black U on S2 with base wider than arms; S3–5 about half blue, half black; S6–7 almost all black; S8–10 blue, with black on top of S10 and often paired apical markings on S9. Female: Polymorphic, either light pinkish-brown or bright greenish to blue-green. Entire top of abdomen black from S2 to S10, with fine pale basal rings on each segment; narrow apical rings on S7–9 blue in both morphs. Immature males can have fully blue markings on abdomen but tan thorax.
Identification Males with more black on abdomen than other small bluets that occur with them, in characteristic pattern of U-shaped mark on S2, then two short and one long black section before blue tip. Black mark on S2 different proportions than similar U-shaped mark on Subarctic Bluet, which also always has interrupted antehumeral stripe. Northern populations of Boreal Bluet, with much more black than elsewhere, may have U-shaped mark on S2, but larger than Taiga and differs in other ways. No other bluet has paired black apical markings on S9 or fine but conspicuous black line just behind humeral stripe. No other male bluet shows green on thorax as this species often does. Females of other Eurasian bluets have extensive pale color on S8 or S8–9, as do those of some AMERICAN BLUETS. AMERICAN BLUETS of ponds and lakes with no pale color on S8–9 have middle abdominal segments extensively marked with pale brown or blue and never have apical blue rings on S7–8. Some stream bluets, not likely to overlap in habitat, more similar. Female Rainbow Bluet most like female Taiga in color pattern but has mostly blue S10, orange face and orange stigmas, and much smaller postocular spots. Female Stream Bluet has most of S9–10 blue.
25
Taiga Bluet male—Kittitas Co., WA, July 2005; brown female—Kittitas Co., WA, June 2007, Netta Smith; green female—Williams Lake, BC, July 2006
Natural History Males abundant in appropriate habitat, females and pairs generally harder to find than those of American bluets. Males and tandem pairs stay within dense grasses and sedges, rarely if ever over open water, and fly less strongly than American bluets. Also on open sphagnum mats. Males cruise through vegetation rapidly in search of females. Pairs oviposit on both floating and emergent plant stems, usually just below surface.
Habitat Sedge marshes and fens and well-vegetated pond and lake edges, at large lakes in sedge beds. Often in stands of water horsetail. Common in habitats of both other North American representatives of group. In shadier, cooler habitats in southern parts of range.
Flight Season YT May–Aug, BC May–Aug, AB May–Sep, SK May–Jul, WA Jun–Sep, OR Jun–Aug, CA May–Aug, MT May–Aug, AZ Jun–Jul, NE Jun–Aug.
Distribution Restricted to higher elevations in southern part of range. Also through eastern Canada and south to Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.
This large genus of small to medium-sized damselflies is found primarily in temperate North America, but a few are seen in Eurasia. Typical species are mostly blue, the amount of black variable with species. Another group occurs with abdomen mostly black, tip variably blue, also exhibiting much variation. A different group contains yellow to red species; still another has mostly violet species. Postocular spots vary from small and isolated (“spots”) to large and connected or almost connected by a line (“dumbbell”) to narrow and connected (“line”). Pond species typically show much blue on the abdomen, whereas stream species exhibit a black abdomen and blue tip. The thorax is typically patterned with black stripes, wide median and narrow humeral; the pale antehumeral stripe is usually wider than humeral. Males rarely and females more often show a pale line on the median carina dividing median stripe, but this line is characteristic of some species. Blue bluets show a “torpedo” pattern from above on most abdominal segments: pointed at anterior end, then parallel-sided and often constricted just before bulging at posterior end. Many species have polymorphic females, either brown (sometimes green) or blue. Eurasian bluets (Coenagrion) are very similar to mostly blue American bluets, but males have paraprocts that are slightly forked in side view, and females lack a vulvar spine, characters visible only in hand. Otherwise, they are best distinguished by characteristics of included species.
Stream bluets typically perch facing the shore at tip of a branch or leaf projecting from the shore; they also commonly hover for long periods over water, both of these behaviors distinguishing them from dancers that share this habitat. Both copulating and tandem pairs are frequently seen. In tandem oviposition, males grasp substrate or, if no substrate is available, they lean forward whirring wings, not resting still in vertical position as typical of dancers. Blue bluets are distinguished from dancers that are mostly blue usually by having black on top of the eyes (a black “cap” usually absent in dancers), black on top of S2 (on sides in dancers) and S10 (no black in dancers), and almost all lacking black stripes low on S8–9 (most dancers have them). Female bluets are easily distinguished from female dancers if eyes can be seen; those of most bluets have at least one horizontal stripe, not so in dancers (vague stripe in female Sooty Dancer). Many bluets can be distinguished from one another in the field by relative proportions of blue and black on various abdominal segments, but some of mostly blue species have to be captured to be distinguished by appendages. Some females are distinguished only by close examination of mesostigmal plates. World 47, NA 37, West 25.
Table 2 Bluet (Enallagma, Coenagrion) Identification
Description Small southwestern bluet with much black on abdomen. Postocular spots large, forming dumbbell; narrower in female. Male: Eyes blue with black cap. Median stripe wide, some with incomplete blue on carina; antehumeral stripe considerably wider than narrow humeral. Abdomen with much black, including large apical spot on S2 and torpedo pattern covering three-fourths or more of S3–6; all of S7 above with narrow blue basal ring, and S10 above. Female: Polymorphic, brown or blue. Eyes greenish-tan with brown cap. Thorax as male. Abdomen entirely black above, with torpedo pattern on S3–6 producing basal pale rings visible from above.
Identification Male with more black on middle segments than other blue bluets with which it occurs, at most extreme looking mostly black like Skimming Bluet, but always conspicuous blue rings around segments. Long cerci usually apparent but not quite as conspicuous as in rather similar River Bluet, which averages larger and with more blue on middle segments. Somewhat like male Tule Bluet but a bit smaller, often with more black on middle segments, and with characteristic cerci. Female much like female Familiar, River, and Tule Bluets but smallest of these. Probably indistinguishable except in hand. Male could be mistaken for male FORKTAIL at quick glance, but all FORKTAILS in its range with either green thorax or front of thorax with pale dots instead of stripes.
Natural History Males common in emergent vegetation at waterside but never in numbers like some pond species. Females seldom found except in mating pairs. Pairs oviposit in floating vegetation; male may release female, and she submerges headfirst to continue egg laying.
Habitat Slow-flowing streams or lake margins with emergent vegetation.
Flight Season CA Apr–Nov, MT Jun–Aug, AZ Feb–Nov, NM Feb–Nov, NE Jun–Aug, TX Mar–Nov.
Distribution Ranges south in uplands to Honduras.
26
Arroyo Bluet male—Kinney Co., TX, July 2004; brown female—Sonora, Mexico, September 2005
27 River Bluet Enallagma anna TL 30–36, HW 18–22
Description Large bluet of running water with long appendages. Postocular spots usually without connecting line. Male: Eyes black over blue. Thorax with wide median and narrow to wide humeral stripes, in some populations narrowed toward upper end and then widened into spot. Black subapical spot on S2, in some connected to lateral markings as U. Black ring extending forward as point on S3 and beyond, black more extensive but point shorter on each succeeding segment until black filling most of S7 and cut straight across; S8–9 blue, S10 black. Upper part of cerci conspicuously long and straight. Female: Polymorphic, brown or blue. Eyes brown over tan. Thorax as male. Abdomen black above on all segments, on S3–7 pointed forward into pale basal ring; black on S9–10 not fully covering segment.
Identification Male resembles many other bluets, especially Alkali and Tule Bluets, because of much black on middle segments; former more likely to occur with it. Looks a bit larger than Tule when comparison possible. Postocular spots usually bridged by line in Tule, not so in Alkali and River. Male also colored like smaller and more slender Arroyo Bluet, larger size usually adequate distinction; black on S3 usually terminal ring on River, usually more extensive on Arroyo. Long cerci of male, with ventral process, distinctive from all other bluets. Narrow humeral stripe distinctive where found; female may be distinguishable from similar Arroyo, Familiar, and Tule Bluets by this mark, otherwise only in hand. Alkali Bluet has similar humeral stripe but usually entirely pale S8. Usually only bluet common on open rivers.
Natural History Both sexes in open herbaceous vegetation, often perch on ground like dancer. Males perch on stems at outer edge of vegetation beds. Pairs or single females oviposit on emergent and floating vegetation; females may go entirely under water, down to several inches deep, for as long as a half-hour.
Habitat Streams and small rivers, mostly in open country but often with riparian borders; also flowing irrigation canals.
Flight Season AB Jun–Jul, OR Jun–Oct, CA Jun–Sep, MT May–Oct, NM Apr–Aug, NE May–Sep.
Distribution Also in East in narrow band from Iowa to southern Ontario.
Comments Has hybridized with Tule Bluet.
27
River Bluet male—Teton Co., WY, September 2007; brown female—Inyo Co., CA, June 2003
28 Claw-tipped Bluet Enallagma semicirculare TL 29–33, HW 15–18
Description Slender blue to purplish-blue bluet with long clawlike cerci that barely enters region from Mexico. Postocular spots large, forming dumbbell. Male: Eyes blue with black cap. Antehumeral stripe wide, humeral stripe narrow. Color varies from typical bluet blue to bluish-purple. Abdomen with usual black marks, including subapical bar on S2, black apical rings on S3–5, entire top of S6–7 except narrow basal ring, and top of S10. Female: Eyes brown above, tan below. Head and thorax patterned as male with pale blue colors. Abdomen black above, extensively blue on sides of S1–3, bluish tinged on sides of S4, rest tan except for S8, small area on S9, and tip of S10 blue.
28
Claw-tipped Bluet male—Sonora, Mexico, June 2005, Doug Danforth; female—San Luis Potosí, Mexico, October 2003, Robert A. Behrstock
Identification Superficially like other largely blue bluet in its range, Familiar Bluet, but easily distinguished by long slender cerci if those can be seen. Transverse bar on S2 also distinctive if abdomen tip not visible. Most individuals distinctly more purplish than bright blue Familiar, less so than Neotropical Bluet, which occurs with it south of border. Female distinguished from most coexisting bluets (Arroyo, Familiar) by blue S8. Very similar to blue female Neotropical, and coexistence in the United States may yet be documented. The latter has black on rear edge of S8 and conspicuous blue markings on sides of S9, whereas Claw-tipped has no black on S8 and almost no blue on S9. Blue also brighter and more extensive at abdomen base of Claw-tipped, especially on S3, where blue covers much of segment, and torpedo mark much narrower than on S4.
Natural History Males perch on leaves and twigs over water as other bluets. Otherwise unknown.
Habitat Typically at pools of slow streams in woodland or open, also at shallow ponds. Found in abundance at rainwater ponds in northern Mexico.
Flight Season AZ Apr–Nov.
Distribution Ranges south in Mexico to Chiapas.
29 Atlantic Bluet Enallagma doubledayi TL 28–37, HW 16–21
Description Common bright blue bluet of Southeast that strays into east Texas. Postocular spots form transverse line. Male: Eyes blue with slight amount of black above. Thorax with usual bluet stripes, humeral slightly narrower than antehumeral. Black markings include large round apical spot on S2, larger narrow rings on S3–6, S6 often prolonged forward into long point; S7 black above with narrow blue basal ring; S8–9 blue, S10 black above. Midabdomen black rings usually narrow but sometimes more extensive, extending forward as much as midsegment. Female: Polymorphic, brown or pale bluish. Eyes brown over pale greenish or tan. Thorax as male. Abdomen with all segments continuously black above, only slight indication of torpedo-shaped markings.
Identification Only other all-blue bluets in range in West are very common Familiar Bluet and mostly coastal Big Bluet. Normally considerably smaller than Big, should be recognizable by size alone, but smaller individuals of Big complicate this. Big usually has median stripe on thorax divided by fine blue line, generally dependable field mark. Otherwise, capture and scrutiny of appendages are necessary. Familiar more easily distinguished from Atlantic by good look at large cerci of former; also postocular spots often larger and without interocular bar but overlap. Atlantic sufficiently rare in region so that in-hand identification is recommended. Females of these three very similar, Atlantic distinguished from Familiar by narrower postocular spots, often no wider than interocular bar, and from Big by smaller size and lack of fine pale line down front of thorax. Mesostigmal plates always worth checking.
29
Atlantic Bluet male, brown female—Lake Co., FL, April 2005
Natural History Males range all over typical well-vegetated ponds, usually perching on stems above water. Pairs oviposit in tandem on horizontal stems or female solo on vertical stems, moving underwater headfirst and briefly while male waits above.
Habitat Shallow grassy ponds, less often lake borders, in open or open woodland.
Flight Season TX May.
Distribution Few isolated records in Texas, populations should be sought. Widespread in East, mostly on Coastal Plain and Piedmont, from New Hampshire to Mississippi.
30 Familiar Bluet Enallagma civile TL 28–39, HW 16–21
Description Abundant and widespread bright blue bluet. Postocular spots not connected in most populations, can be very small or even absent in North; form narrow dumbbell in Southwest. Male: Eyes blue with small black cap. Thoracic stripes typical of bluet, widest black median, somewhat narrower blue antehumeral, and quite narrow black humeral. Abdomen blue with black apical markings on S2–7, beginning as spot on S2, pointed and somewhat wider spots on S3–5, covering two-thirds of S6 and almost all of S7; S8–9 blue, S10 black above. Female: Polymorphic, brown or blue. Eyes tan to greenish tan with brown cap; may be very pale in Southwest, almost whitish. Thorax as in male. Abdomen black above, covering all segments, but typical bluet torpedo pattern evident.
Identification Largely blue middle segments should distinguish male from other bluets with more black. Most, including the same-sized Boreal and Northern, best distinguished by distinctively shaped cerci clearly longer than paraprocts (reverse in other two) and black marking on S2, a spot touching rear of segment (bar separated from rear in other two, where they overlap with Familiar). In areas where most overlap takes place, Familiar usually has distinctly smaller postocular spots. Familiar larger than Hagen’s and Marsh that overlap with it widely but colored very similarly. Familiar often has relatively wider antehumeral and narrower humeral stripes than the two smaller species, thus showing more blue in front view of thorax, but they overlap. In Texas overlaps with Big Bluet (usually larger, with more black on middle segments and divided median stripe on thorax as well as barely perceptible cerci) and very rare Atlantic (can be very similar; look at cerci). Female much like those of other blue bluets with black on entire abdomen, will have to be identified in hand. Fortunately, tandem pairs are common!
Natural History Extremely abundant at many sites. Males spend much of day at water but do not visit each day while reproductively mature. Males arrive at water in late morning and remain at peak numbers until midafternoon. Mating peaks by midday. Copulation lasts about 20 min. Tandem pairs oviposit in soft plant tissues of all kinds at and below surface, up to a few inches above water in shrub stems. Pair engages in exploratory flights in which female tests substrate and often lays some eggs, pair then moving again. These flights are surprisingly lengthy, averaging 34 min and moving substantial distances. Then, at some appropriate site, female backs underwater to continue ovipositing, and male releases her before his head gets wet. Female may also back down stem, then lay eggs as she ascends. Underwater oviposition bouts last about 10–30 min, female then popping to surface. Male typically waits for her there and grabs her again, pair moving to new site. Females often reject attempts at second tandems, whether by first mate or another male. No underwater oviposition at some sites, probably because of lack of appropriate plants. Entire course of oviposition may last 2 hr. Both sexes average just over one mating in lifetime.
30
Familiar Bluet male—Hidalgo Co., TX, June 2005; blue female—Burnet Co., TX, July 2004
Habitat Lakes, ponds, open marshes, and slow streams, even margins of rivers, as long as emergent vegetation is present. Broad habitat tolerance, including freshly created wetlands, may explain widespread abundance.
Flight Season OR May–Oct, CA Feb–Dec, MT May–Aug, AZ all year, NM Feb–Nov, NE Apr–Oct, TX all year.
Distribution Ranges south through Central America at increasingly higher elevations to Venezuela. Also widespread throughout eastern United States and far southern Canada, along coast to Newfoundland.
Comments Has hybridized with Tule Bluet.
31 Tule Bluet Enallagma carunculatum TL 26–37, HW 14–22
Description Common bluet of marshes with much black on abdomen. Postocular spots usually form narrow dumbbell. Male: Eyes blue with black cap. Median stripe broad, humeral stripe narrow, antehumeral wider than humeral. Abdomen with large black apical spot on S2; apical black mark on S3–6 somewhat pointed forward and occupying more than half of segment, longest on S6; most of S7 black; S8–9 blue, S10 black above. Unusual variants have most segments almost entirely black, thus abdomen looking black with blue tip. Female: Polymorphic, brown or blue; blue may be absent from middle segments, which may be golden-yellow. Eyes tan with brown cap. Thorax as in male. Abdomen black above, black expanded apically and narrowed basally, extending forward in point on S3–8, with narrow but varying pale ring at base of each. From above, black on each segment shaped like fat candle in small candle holder.
31
Tule Bluet male—Coconino Co., AZ, September 2005; brown female, blue female—Benton Co., WA, August 2005
Identification Male easily distinguished from most coexisting bluets (Boreal, Familiar, Hagen’s, Marsh, Northern) by much black on all middle abdominal segments, exceeding blue on all segments. Alkali and River quite similar but usually more blue than black on S3–4, also more likely to have postocular spots not bridged. Like Arroyo but latter a bit smaller and more slender, a bit more black on middle segments, and longer cerci that can be seen at close range. Female looks like other bluets with black covering most of abdomen (Arroyo, Familiar, and River and slightly smaller Hagen’s and Marsh), could be distinguished only by looking at mesostigmal plates in hand. In parts of range, occurs only with Northern and/or Boreal Bluets, then distinguished by S8 almost all black (other two usually with much pale color on S8).
Natural History Typical bluet in habits, with males and tandem pairs perching all over shore and emergent vegetation and flying well out over open water, even of very large lakes. Very common in optimal habitats. On average, copulation lasts 21 min, exploration for oviposition sites 11 min, surface oviposition 58 min, and underwater oviposition 20 min. Pairs and solo females oviposit in standing bulrushes and presumably other plants. Mayflies and small flies common prey.
Habitat Marshy and open lakes, ponds, and slow streams and rivers, occurring commonly at larger and more eutrophic lakes than some of its relatives. In Pacific Northwest, often common at lakes and ponds with tall cattail growth where other bluets are lacking. Also found in some saline lakes, but not as characteristic of extreme environments as Alkali Bluet.
Flight Season BC May–Sep, AB Jun–Sep, WA Apr–Nov, OR Apr–Nov, CA Feb–Oct, MT Jun–Oct, AZ Apr–Nov, NM Apr–Dec, NE May–Sep, TX Jul–Sep.
Distribution Ranges south in Mexico to northern Baja California. Also in northeastern North America from Ontario and Missouri to Nova Scotia and Maryland.
Comments Has hybridized with Familiar and River Bluets.
32 Skimming Bluet Enallagma geminatum TL 19–28, HW 12–17
Description Small bluet of lakes and ponds with brown eyes and mostly black abdomen. Postocular spots small, isolated. Smallest individuals in east Texas. Male: Eyes brown over tan to greenish, small streak of blue across front. Thorax with broad median and humeral stripes, antehumeral no wider than humeral. Abdomen mostly black with blue at base forming wavy line down S2 (because black both on top and sides of segment) onto base of S3; in some, line interrupted by black on top and sides in contact; otherwise S8–9 blue but with black low on sides. Faintly indicated basal rings on S3–7 either blue or whitish. Female: Eyes brown over tan. Thorax as male. Abdomen entirely black above, black extending well down sides of segments. S8 above with paired blue squarish marks or entirely blue. Surprisingly, females during copulation and oviposition may replace blue markings with dull gray-brown.
Identification Several aspects of male coloration unusual among blue bluets. Blue streak on eyes otherwise brown above is unique, as other blue bluets have mostly blue eyes. Entirely black S10 is shared with Turquoise Bluet but no other blue bluet. Perhaps most like Turquoise but smaller, less elongate, and typically on ponds rather than streams. Turquoise has blue eyes, joined postocular spots, no black on sides of S2. Male Slender Bluet differs in same ways as Turquoise but also has narrow humeral stripes and more blue on abdomen base, thorax looking overall bluer. Perhaps most like Lilypad Forktail in habitat and habits, as well as black body with blue thorax and abdomen tip, but Forktail has mostly blue eyes, a black ring around blue abdomen base, and more blue on abdomen tip (a bit on both S7 and S10). Female Skimming Bluet differs from other similar-looking damselflies in its range with black abdomens in having pale markings only on top of S8. Closest might be young andromorph Rambur’s Forktail, still with blue thorax, but in that species entire S8 is blue, not just top. Although not known to overlap in range, also similar is female Neotropical Bluet, rarely as bright blue as Skimming and with narrower median and humeral stripes and usually blue spots on S9.
Natural History Males perch on lily pads or emergent grasses and sedges and fly quickly from one perch to another, low over water as name indicates. Often hover over open water, unlike Lilypad Forktail. Pairs and solo females oviposit in floating debris and vegetation.
Habitat Lakes, ponds, and slow streams with clear water, usually with abundant beds of water lilies or other floating vegetation.
Flight Season TX Mar–Sep.
Distribution Ranges east across southern Canada and United States to New Brunswick and north Florida.
32
Skimming Bluet male—Taylor Co., GA, May 2006; female—Marquette Co., WI, July 2005, Mike Reese
33 Azure Bluet Enallagma aspersum TL 27–34, HW 15–20
Description Slender bluet of ponds with more blue on abdomen tip than in other species. Postocular spots very large, joining blue color on back of head. Male: Eyes blue, black cap reduced. Black and blue thorax with moderate median stripe and narrow humeral stripe. Abdomen mostly black above with blue on sides of base and extensive at tip: S1 blue, S2 blue with black apical spot, S3 blue at base and on sides, S4–6 with narrow basal ring, S7–10 blue with black basal spot on S7, S10 with much black above. Female: Eyes black over brown. Body black and blue, no heteromorph. Thorax blue with wide median and relatively narrow humeral stripes, antehumeral stripe slightly wider than humeral. Abdomen mostly black above, conspicuously blue on sides of S1–3, entire base of S7 (with narrow black line down segment), and pair of blue basal spots on S8.
Identification Male distinguished by mostly black abdomen with long blue tip, including distal part of S7, and extensive blue at base as well. Other slender bluets with mostly black abdomen (Skimming, Stream, Turquoise) have less blue on base and only S8–9 at most blue at tip. Female Azure’s pattern of big blue spot on base of S7 unique in its range.
Natural History Males perch on edge vegetation and fly out at intervals. Copulation lasts 10–20 min. Pairs oviposit on surface vegetation. Some females climb down stem headfirst, released by male immediately. Submerged solo oviposition, sometimes rather deep, lasts 5–25 min. Blue colors in female turn gray during oviposition. Males remain nearby and seize females when they emerge, but females refuse to copulate again.
Habitat Ponds and lakes of all sizes with much emergent vegetation; may be especially common at small boggy ponds. Usually restricted to fishless waters.
Flight Season NE May–Sep, TX May–Aug.
Distribution Also widespread in far southeastern Canada east to Nova Scotia and eastern United States south to Arkansas and South Carolina.
33
Azure Bluet male—Tuscarawas Co., OH, July 2005, Greg Lasley; female—Dade Co., GA, May 2003, Giff Beaton
34 Big Bluet Enallagma durum TL 34–44, HW 17–25
Description Largest blue bluet in region, most common on large lakes and in coastal region. Postocular spots form very narrow transverse line. Male: Eyes blue with small black cap. Thorax typical of blue bluets but dorsal carina usually blue, bisecting wide black median stripe. Abdomen blue with black markings, a large apical spot on S2, apical spots (almost rings) on S3–6 narrowly pointed toward front, top of S7 except narrow basal ring, and top of S10. Female: Polymorphic, brown or blue. Eyes tan, darker above. Thorax as male, also with pale line dividing median stripe. Abdomen entirely black above with usual torpedo pattern on S3–7.
Identification Typical individuals distinctly larger than other bluets, with dark markings of middle abdominal segments often more extensively drawn out in long point toward front than in Atlantic and Familiar, only other blue bluets in range in West. Unfortunately, some individuals smaller, some with less black on abdomen, so capture and scrutiny of appendages may be necessary for certainty. Familiar easily distinguished by long cerci equaling S10 in length (barely visible in Atlantic and Big). Female resembles females of those two species, perhaps separable by size and pale median carina of thorax. Familiar females more likely to have isolated postocular spots, Big a fine transverse line. Otherwise, mesostigmal laminae must be examined in hand.
34
Big Bluet male—Wakulla Co., FL, April 2005; brown female—Liberty Co., FL, April 2005
Natural History Males perch on grass and sedge in beds of same. Females oviposit under water, head down, while male guards above.
Habitat Large sandy lakes and lower reaches of rivers, even extending into brackish estuaries. Most common bluet at some large water bodies near coast.
Flight Season TX Mar–Sep.
Distribution Ranges south on Gulf coast of Mexico to Tamaulipas and east along Gulf and Atlantic coast, sometimes farther inland, to Maine.
35 Alkali Bluet Enallagma clausum TL 28–37, HW 16–23
Description Large bluet characteristic of alkaline lakes but occurring in other habitats. Postocular spots large, forming dumbbell. Male: Eyes blue with black cap. Wide median and antehumeral, narrow humeral stripes. Abdomen with much black: subapical spot on S2 almost touching end of segment, apical markings on S3–7 reaching half-length of segment on S3–5, more than half on S6, and four-fifths of S7, typically increasing regularly to rear; S8–9 blue, S10 black on top. Female: Polymorphic, brown or blue. Eyes tan or pale greenish with brown cap. Abdomen typical of blue bluets, S2 with anchor-shaped marking usually extending entire length of segment; torpedo markings of equal length on S3–7, with pale basal rings prominent and S8 entirely pale (rarely with black middorsal line); black on S9–10 slightly reduced in comparison with other species.
Identification Male marked most like River Bluet in having S3–5 almost equally blue and black; Boreal, Familiar, and Northern have less black, Arroyo and Tule more black. At close range in side view, male Alkali distinguished from Familiar and River by short cerci, from Boreal and Northern by shorter, more curved paraprocts. Female has more pale color on abdomen than all others of this group, S8 entirely pale, and much pale color at base of all middle segments. Female Northern and Boreal usually with some black on S8, other female bluets with S8 entirely black above. Very narrow humeral stripe, often widened into dot near upper end as in some dancers, distinctive except from River Bluet, female of which usually has mostly dark S8. In female Alkali, lower end of middorsal carina on thorax constricted and slightly elevated, unique among this group.
Natural History Males perch on lakeside rocks and grasses or fly over water; perching on bare ground more likely than in other bluets. Perhaps in absence of competition, reaches tremendous densities in preferred lakes, sufficiently abundant in some areas to produce bluish cast to lake surface, even hundreds of tandem pairs visible at once. Females and pairs oviposit directly on floating alga mats and alga-covered rocks in lakes with no emergent vegetation, both at water surface and well beneath it, at least to a foot deep.
35
Alkali Bluet male—Kittitas Co., WA, September 2006, Netta Smith; blue female—Okanogan Co., WA, August 2003, Netta Smith
Habitat In West, occupies alkaline lakes and ponds, some of them too alkaline for any other odonates. Also may be at edge of large, slow-flowing rivers. Emergent vegetation present or not. Farther east, may occur in large lakes of more normal chemistry.
Flight Season BC May–Aug, WA May–Sep, OR May–Aug, CA May–Sep, MT Jul–Aug, NM May–Jul, NE Jun–Aug.
Distribution Also from Minnesota and Iowa to southern Ontario and Quebec.
36 Northern Bluet Enallagma annexum TL 29–40, HW 17–24
Description Typical mostly blue bluet that can be very abundant at northern latitudes. Postocular spots large, forming dumbbell. Male: Eyes black over blue. Thorax with wide median stripe and narrow humeral stripe. Black subapical, often crescent-shaped, bar on S2, black rings on S3–5, widest on S5; most of S6–7 black; S8–9 blue, S10 black above. Populations in Alaska and Canada from Rockies west look darker because of more extensive black. They may have broader humeral stripes and considerably more black on abdomen (large spot on S2, most of S4–5 black) than populations to south and east. Also, U.S. Pacific coast populations average more black than those of interior. Female: Polymorphic, either brown or blue. Eyes dark brown over light brown. Thorax as male. Abdomen mostly black above; pale basal rings on S3–8, brown or blue often more extensive on S8, at most may fill segment; S9–10 black.
Identification Often occurs with Boreal Bluet, impossible to distinguish except in hand. Very similar to Familiar Bluet, but that species has cerci longer than paraprocts, reverse of that in Northern, and black marking on S2 usually larger, touching rear of segment (separated from it in Boreal and Northern where they overlap in range with Familiar). Also very similar to Alkali Bluet, but most individuals have less black on S5. Hagen’s and Marsh Bluets colored very similarly but smaller and with smaller postocular spots, most noticeable when comparison possible and especially evident in females. In most areas of overlap (not in far North), bar on S2 in Northern distinguishes it from both smaller species, which have larger spot on that segment. Female much like female Alkali and Boreal Bluets, will have to be distinguished in hand by examination of mesostigmal plates. Differs from River and Tule Bluets by usual presence of pale color on top of S8, but at least in California, some females with all black S8.
Natural History Typical of bluets, males at water in large numbers, perched in all vegetation types, although more commonly at edges rather than inside dense stands, and flying over open water. Mating usually takes place in sunny clearings near water, tandem pairs then flying to water. Copulation lasts 10–27 min. Pairs oviposit flat on floating vegetation, not up on emergents, and vascular plants are preferred over algae. Much exploratory oviposition by pair, followed by period of actual egg laying in tandem. Pair eventually separates, and female moves below surface headfirst. Male remains guarding for some time but often gives up. Submerged oviposition up to 90 min.
36
Northern Bluet male—King Co., WA, June 2004; blue female—Okanogan Co., WA, June 2005; very dark male—Fairbanks, AK, July 2002, Wim Arp
Habitat Marshy and somewhat open lakes, ponds, and slow streams in West, perhaps only streams in California. Not limited to fish-free water bodies as in East.
Flight Season YT Jun–Aug, BC Apr–Sep, AB Jun–Aug, WA May–Oct, OR May–Oct, CA Apr–Nov, MT May–Sep, AZ Jun–Aug, NM May–Oct, NE May–Aug.
Distribution Ranges south in Mexico to Baja California Sur, also widespread in Northeast to Newfoundland and south to Indiana and West Virginia.
Comments Known in all previous North American literature as Enallagma cyathigerum. That name is now considered to be restricted to the Eurasian species that looks much like annexum but is genetically distinct from it.
Bluets - male appendages
37 Boreal Bluet Enallagma boreale TL 28–36, HW 17–22
Description Typical mostly blue bluet, abundant at northern latitudes. Postocular spots large, forming dumbbell. Male: Eyes blue with black cap. Thorax with wide median stripe and narrow humeral stripe. Abdomen with black subapical bar on S2 (larger in eastern populations), black rings on S3–5, widest on S5; most of S6–7 black; S8–9 blue, S10 black above. Northern populations, especially uplands of Alaska and Canada, can have much more black, with broad humeral stripe, narrow antehumeral stripe sometimes divided, large spot on S2 touching rear margin, and extensive black on middle abdominal segments (more than half of S4–5). At the most extreme, some populations have prominent irregular black markings on sides of S8. Female: Polymorphic, either brown or blue. Eyes dark brown over light brown. Thorax marked as in male. Abdomen mostly black above; pale basal rings on S3–8, brown or blue usually more extensive on S8, at most may fill segment; S9–10 black.
Identification Indistinguishable from Northern Bluet except by structural differences apparent with magnification. This is one pair of species that in the field will have to be lumped (they have been called “borthern” or “nobo” bluets). Also very much like Familiar Bluet, with which it overlaps over a relatively small region; Familiar has cerci longer than paraprocts, reverse of that in Boreal; larger postocular spots; and black marking on S2 larger, touching rear of segment. Hagen’s and Marsh Bluets, which often occur with Boreal, are slightly smaller, usually have slightly smaller postocular spots, and also differ by larger size of black spot on S2. Boreal also much like Alkali Bluet, but males have slightly less black on middle abdominal segments. Occurs with Tule Bluet in many areas, males easily distinguished by mostly blue middle segments and very slightly paler blue coloration. Fortunately, these other species not present in northern regions where Boreal shows much more black. Females differ from most female bluets by having extensive pale color on S8; other species so colored (Alkali, Northern) will have to be distinguished in hand by examining mesostigmal plates.
Natural History Males fly over open water and perch on emergent vegetation, at some places in prodigious numbers, producing bluish film over water surface. Pairs form at or away from water, sometimes superabundant along open corridors in woodland. On average, copulation lasts 23 min, exploration for oviposition sites 11 min, surface oviposition 67 min, and underwater oviposition 23 min. Pairs oviposit at water surface. Mayflies and small flies common prey. Mean life expectancy of reproductive adults 4 days, maximum 17 days.
Habitat Ponds, open marshes, and lake margins with much emergent vegetation. Ubiquitous in some areas, for example, common from boggy mountain lakes to alkaline prairie ponds in Pacific Northwest. Boreal and Northern Bluets occur together very commonly in parts of the West.
37
Boreal Bluet male—Grant Co., WA, May 2005; brown female—Baker Co., OR, August 2004; blue female—Cowlitz Co., WA, September 2006
Flight Season YT May–Jul, BC Apr–Sep, AB May–Aug, WA Apr–Oct, OR May–Sep, CA Apr–Sep, MT May–Sep, AZ Jun–Oct, NM May–Sep, NE Jun–Jul.
Distribution Ranges south in uplands of Mexico to Durango; at higher elevations in southern part of range. Less common along immediate Pacific coast than Northern Bluet, more common in some arid regions. Also widely in eastern Canada and south in United States to Iowa and West Virginia.
38 Marsh Bluet Enallagma ebrium TL 28–34, HW 16–21
Description Small very common bluet of northern regions. Postocular spots large, forming dumbbell; rarely separated spots. Male: Eyes blue with black cap. Typical bluet thoracic stripes. Abdomen with black markings including large apical spot on S2, rings on S3–5 becoming slightly wider to rear, top of most of S6 and all of S7, and top of S10. Female: Polymorphic, brown or blue. Eyes brown over tan or pale greenish. Thorax as in male. Abdomen entirely black above, with torpedo markings.
Identification Most like Hagen’s Bluet in both sexes, not distinguishable except in hand, although difference in male cerci may be visible with close-focus binoculars. Male colored also like Boreal, Familiar, and Northern Bluets with which it occurs, distinguishable by smaller size and, from Boreal and Northern in much of area of overlap, by spot on S2 usually touching rear of segment. Capture and scrutiny of appendages always advised if any doubt remains. Females of both Hagen’s and Marsh distinguishable from all other bluets by wide mesostigmal plates visible in hand, then distinguished from each other by those plates in Hagen’s raised well above thorax at their posterior end and those of Marsh lying flat.
Natural History Males can be abundant perching on shore vegetation or algal mats, tend to stay in vegetation rather than out over open water. In Northwest, females much less often seen than in larger Northern and Boreal Bluets, but pairs appear at midday and later. Females oviposit in tandem or solo on floating or emergent aquatic plants, also lone females descend below surface as far as a foot or more.
Habitat Lakes and ponds of all sizes, typically bordered with abundant emergent vegetation, in open or woodland. Less likely than Hagen’s Bluet at bog ponds and other acid waters.
Flight Season YT Jun–Jul, BC May–Aug, AB Jun–Aug, WA Jun–Sep, MT Jun–Aug, NE Jun–Sep.
Distribution Ranges east to Newfoundland, south to Tennessee and West Virginia.
38
Marsh Bluet male—Merrimack, NH; June 2006; blue female—Coos Co., NH, June 2006
Description Small very common bluet of northern regions. Postocular spots large, forming dumbbell. Male: Eyes blue with black cap. Typical bluet thoracic markings. Abdomen blue with black apical spot on S2, black rings on S3–5, S6–7 mostly black above with anterior point penetrating basal ring; S10 also black above. Female: Polymorphic, tan, green, or blue. Eyes tan or greenish with brown cap. Thorax as male. Abdomen entirely black above, middle segments with torpedo markings.
Identification Marsh Bluet most similar, males distinguished only by shape of cerci, which can be seen at close range. Differs from other similarly colored bluets in exactly same way as Marsh Bluet (see that species). Still other bluets that occur with Hagen’s differ by having more black on midabdomen. Female identical to Marsh except for mesostigmal plates, to be examined in hand. In Hagen’s, wide plates tilt upward toward rear, well elevated above thorax, whereas in Marsh, plates are flat. Also check other coexisting bluets with almost all of dorsal surface of abdomen black: Familiar, River, Taiga, and Tule.
Natural History Males in marsh vegetation and over open water, resting on stems or algal mats. Mating takes place near water, and tandem pairs appear at water in afternoon. Copulation averages 22 min, then pairs in tandem 58 min before oviposition. Females oviposit in floating dead and live plant stems, submerging and crawling around underwater stems for about a half-hour. Males usually remain above their submerged mates, but other males often grab them when they surface, leading to remating and another bout of oviposition. Males act as lifeguards, pulling floating females from water (of course to mate with them).
Habitat Open marshes, lakes, and ponds with abundant emergent vegetation, including bog ponds. Often most common species at large northern lakes.
Flight Season BC Jun–Jul, AB Jun–Aug, MT Jun–Aug, NE Jun–Sep.
Distribution Ranges east to Nova Scotia and south to Indiana and Maryland, in mountains to Georgia.
39
Hagen’s Bluet male—Horsefly, BC, July 2006, Netta Smith; green female—St. Louis Co., MN, August 2004, Jim Bangma; blue female—Androscoggin Co., ME, July 2006
Description Violet bluet of Texas streams. Postocular spots large, forming dumbbell. Male: Eyes dark brown or violet over pale greenish or tan. Thorax violet in front, blue low on sides, with narrow median and humeral stripes. S1–3 violet, S2 with prominent U-shaped black mark, and S3 with black apical ring. Middle segments black with very narrow pale blue basal ring; S8–9 mostly blue-violet but divided by narrow black apical ring of S8, also some black low on sides of each segment; S10 black. Female: Polymorphic, either dull greenish (sometimes with blue intermixed) or blue. Eyes tan with brown horizontal stripes above. Black lines on thorax as in male. Abdomen black above except S1 and square spot on top of S8 pale; S9–10 mostly black from above but with some pale markings.
Identification No other bluet like male, with violet thorax and abdomen base, black abdomen with largely blue tip. Violet-colored dancers all have mostly violet abdomen and blue S10 as well as S8–9. Unique among southwestern bluets in interrupted blue on S8–9 and U-shaped black marking on S2. Female one of few damselflies in its range with conspicuously pale S8. Female Skimming Bluet similar but smaller, on lakes, and barely if at all overlap in range. Others are female Rambur’s Forktail, which has all of S8 and sides of S9–10 blue. Female Painted Damsel also with conspicuous pale area on abdomen, but on S7 and not S8. Similar to female Claw-tipped Bluet but no known overlap in the United States (see that species).
40.1
Neotropical Bluet male—Sonora, Mexico, August 2006, Netta Smith; green female—Kinney Co., TX, July 2004
40.2
Neotropical Bluet pair with blue female—Kinney Co., TX, July 2004
Natural History Males commonly perch at tips of leaves overhanging water, alternating perching with hovering for long periods over water. Pairs oviposit in emergent vegetation.
Habitat Typically on pools of slow-flowing streams and rivers, often with grass beds along shore, may also be in areas of swift current. Also on well-vegetated seeps.
Flight Season TX Apr–Dec.
Distribution Ranges south mostly in lowlands to Argentina.
41 Baja Bluet Enallagma eiseni TL 27–34, HW 13–19
Description Very distinctive bluet of southwestern border, with black on front of middle abdominal segments. Smaller in Arizona than in Baja California. Male: Eyes mostly blue, with small black cap. Postocular spots form narrow dumbbell. Typical bluet thoracic stripes, but median stripe prominently divided. Abdomen blue with black markings including dorsal stripe on S2, black apical rings and rearward-pointing “spearpoints” on S3–6; S7 all black above, S10 with fine black middorsal stripe. Female: May be polymorphic, either brown or blue on thorax and abdomen; blue females definitely known. Abdomen typical bluet, black above, apical ring on S3–7; S8 mostly pale except median dorsal line, S9 mostly black but pale apical lateral spots.
Identification Males unlike any other species, with large basal black markings on middle abdominal segments. Because of amount of black, closest to Arroyo Bluet at first sight. Might be mistaken for mostly blue DANCER, also because S10 with so much blue, but dorsal black markings quite different from lateral black markings of DANCERS. Females distinguished from all co-occurring bluets by mostly pale S8 with dark median line. Most similar to female Claw-tipped Bluet, but that species has S8 blue above and black below.
Natural History Males on waterside emergent vegetation, at times in numbers; both sexes also wander well away from water into desert scrub. Breeding behavior unrecorded.
Habitat Shallow rocky and sandy streams in arid country, mostly on pools.
Flight Season CA Jun, AZ Jun–Oct.
Distribution Found so far in United States only in Tia Juana River Valley in far southern California and at Quitobaquito Springs (closed to public), Arizona, also just across border in Sonora. Previously thought to be endemic to Baja California.
41
Baja Bluet male, female—Pima Co., AZ, October 2006, Doug Danforth
Description Slender bluet of streams with mostly black abdomen and distinctly greenish tinge on head and thorax. Postocular spots form narrow dumbbell. Male: Eyes turquoise with black cap. Thorax greenish-blue with usual bluet stripes, humeral distinctly wider than antehumeral. Abdomen black above S2–7, black extending on point almost full length of S8. Sides of S2–3 conspicuously blue or tinged with green; blue basal rings on S4–7, sides of S8 and S10 and all of S9 blue. Female: Polymorphic, either green or blue on thorax. Eyes greenish with black cap. Thorax as in male, but humeral stripe often divided lengthwise by brown stripe, losing distinctness of stripe in extreme cases. Abdomen black above, conspicuously greenish or blue on sides, S9–10 blue with pair of black basal spots on S9. Paler individuals with S8 blue at tip, S9–10 entirely blue.
Identification Other male bluets with abdomen mostly black above include Azure, Skimming, Slender, and Turquoise, last one most likely in habitat of Stream. Turquoise most similar but with more blue at abdomen tip and never greenish on head and thorax. Slender with narrow humeral stripes, also S8–9 entirely blue as in Turquoise. Azure with much more blue on thorax and abdomen base and Skimming smaller, again with S8–9 entirely blue. Female’s greenish head, thorax, and abdomen base together with blue abdomen tip distinguish her from most other damselflies. See Rainbow and Turquoise Bluets.
Natural History Males hover a foot over water of pools for long periods, then perch on stems of herbaceous plants growing in or extending over water. Pairs often common. Mating takes place at water or in nearby woodland. Copulation lengthy for bluet, lasting 55–119 min, then pair remains in tandem for some time after that before oviposition begins. Egg laying may begin before or after pair separates, and males may accompany females for part or all of oviposition, which can be completely underwater for 15–31 min. Pairs and single females also oviposit at surface on beds of submergent vegetation.
Habitat Medium streams to large rivers with slow to moderate current, often with much water-willow. Also vegetated lake shores in northern part of range.
Flight Season NE May–Sep, TX Apr–Sep.
Distribution Ranges south in lowlands of eastern Mexico to Hidalgo, also across much of East to Nova Scotia, not on southern Coastal Plain.
42
Stream Bluet male, green female—Bremer Co., IA, July 2004; Blue female—Buchanan Co., IA, July 2004
Description Very long, slender bluet with scarcely any black on head, thorax, and abdomen tip. Postocular spots large, head almost entirely pale. Male: Eyes blue over green. Thorax with median and humeral stripes very narrow, at quick glance appearing all blue. Abdomen black above, blue on sides of S2 and base of S3, distal third of S7 and all of S8–10 blue. Female: Eyes tan, darker above. Thorax as male. Abdomen black above, scarcely any basal rings evident; S9–10 blue.
Identification Size and slenderness set it off immediately. No similar species in West, although check Slender Bluet as most similar. Female might be mistaken for rather slender female Furtive Forktail of same habitat, slightly smaller and with front of thorax and tip of abdomen black.
Natural History Males perch in and fly through shrubby thickets and tall grasses, higher than most other damselflies and moving leisurely along with much hovering. Long abdomen in damselflies probably facilitates hovering. Pairs in tandem move through grass and shrubs at same levels, impressively long as a pair, then drop to lower vegetation to oviposit. Pair backs down herbaceous stem, then male releases female and she may go well below surface.
Habitat Shrubby borders of wooded lakes and swamps. Always associated with woodland.
Flight Season TX May–Jun.
Distribution Also scattered through Southeast, most common on Coastal Plain.
43
Attenuated Bluet male, female—San Jacinto Co., TX, May 2005
44 Rainbow Bluet Enallagma antennatum TL 27–33, HW 15–21
Description Stream-dwelling bluet unmistakable because of orange face, greenish thorax, and blue abdomen. Postocular spots form narrow interrupted line. Male: Eyes orange in front, green behind, yellow below. Face orange, postocular spots blue. Thorax bluish-green, median and humeral stripes wide, antehumeral stripe quite narrow and yellowish or chartreuse; median stripe may be divided by very narrow pale stripe. Legs mostly yellowish. Abdomen black above, blue on sides of S1–3, light green on sides of S4–7, narrow blue basal rings on S3–7; black stripe on top of S8 narrows to rear, shows bright blue sides, S9 all blue, S10 black above. Female: Eyes brown above, yellow below. Thorax, legs, and sides of abdomen yellowish to yellow-green. Abdomen black above with terminal blue rings on S7–8, much of S9–10 bluish.
Identification No other western damselfly colored like male. Even with rear view, yellowish legs give it away. Could easily be mistaken for FORKTAIL because of greenish thorax and mostly black abdomen, but orange face and legs peg it as this species. Female much like female Stream Bluet but yellower, especially on face, and less blue on abdomen tip than in that species (Rainbow has top of S9 mostly black, Stream mostly blue).
44
Rainbow Bluet male, female—Bremer Co., IA, July 2004
Natural History Males perch on stems at outer edge of vegetation at edges of pools. Pairs oviposit in grass at water surface; female reported to descend below surface.
Habitat Slow streams and rivers lined with beds of emergent vegetation, typically in open country. Also at ponds along stream courses.
Flight Season MT Jun–Jul, NE Jun–Sep.
Distribution Also east to Vermont, south to Kentucky and West Virginia.
45 Turquoise Bluet Enallagma divagans TL 27–36, HW 17–22
Description Slender blue bluet of streams with prominent blue abdomen tip. Postocular spots form narrow dumbbell. Male: Eyes blue with small black cap and horizontal dark stripe. Thorax typical bluet but with antehumeral and humeral stripes about same width. Abdomen black with blue on S1, sides of S2, and sides of base of S3; S8–9 entirely blue, S10 entirely black. Female: Eyes brown above, tan below. Thorax blue like male or blue mixed with dull greenish, much of humeral stripe may be entirely obscured by brown. Abdomen black above, blue along sides, variable blue at tip (S8 all black or with extensive blue tip; S9 all blue or with basal black spots; S10 all blue).
Identification Male most like Stream Bluet and often found in same habitat, but S8–9 all blue, whereas Stream has black covering most or all of top of S8 (some eastern populations of Turquoise may show some black). Blue usually visible on side of S10 in Stream but not in Turquoise. Stream also shows narrow blue abdominal rings, Turquoise abdomen entirely black above. Turquoise quite blue, but head and thorax of Stream may show greenish tinge. Also much like Slender Bluet, which differs in having more extensive blue coloration: larger postocular spots, narrower black humeral stripe, more blue at abdomen base. Female much like female Stream Bluet but brown on humeral stripe when present covers most of stripe rather than dividing down its length as in Stream. Turquoise female usually blue rather than green as typical of female Stream Bluet, and eyes usually brown (Stream with green to turquoise eyes). Immature females of orange bluet group (Florida, Golden, Orange, Vesper), with light blue thorax and blue abdomen tip, look much like female Turquoise, but all have less blue at abdomen tip, much black on top of S9.
45
Turquoise Bluet male—Liberty Co., FL, April 2005; female—Middlesex Co., MA, June 2004, Tom Murray
Natural History Males perch low at stream margins or hover over water a few inches up for long times, reminiscent of threadtail. Pairs oviposit in tandem in submergent vegetation at surface. Female may back down stems by herself for up to 30 min, with male waiting above.
Habitat Small woodland streams with moderate current, also swampy areas with slight current and wooded shores of large lakes and reservoirs.
Flight Season TX Apr–May.
Distribution Ranges east to southern Maine and northern Florida.
46 Slender Bluet Enallagma traviatum TL 29–32, HW 15–19
Description Slender bluet (of course!) of pond habitats with rather fine thoracic stripes. Postocular spots large, head largely pale with black lines dividing pale areas. More blue on prothorax than related species. Male: Eyes blue over blue-green, no black cap. Thorax with relatively limited black markings; median stripe only moderate width and, in southern populations, may be split lengthwise by pale stripe and so reduced as to be almost lacking; humeral stripe quite narrow. Abdomen black above, prominently blue on sides of S2–3 with full-length black mark on S2 somewhat buoy-shaped (becoming wider toward rear then suddenly contracted); narrow basal blue rings on S3–7, S8–9 blue, and S10 black above, blue below. Female: Eyes greenish or bluish over tan, rather colorfully striped. Thorax blue like male but dark stripes may be even more reduced, greenish-brown rather than black. Abdomen pale bluish on sides, black above; black marking on S2 as in male and blue basal rings and typical torpedoes on S3–7; S8–10 all blue except black basal spot on S8 of variable size, pointed behind. Some females strongly greenish on thorax and all but tip of abdomen (polymorphic).
Identification Limited black on thorax of male distinctive, somewhat like Attenuated Bluet, but that species found in swamps and is longer and more slender with more blue on abdomen tip, including part of S7. Superficially like Azure Bluet, which has more black on head and much more blue at both base and tip of abdomen. Female also like Azure, but both sexes of Slender easily distinguished by narrow humeral stripe. Turquoise Bluet, of different habitat, has darker head and eyes, wider humeral stripe, and no blue on S10.
Natural History Males perch in shore vegetation or fly and hover well out over water. Tandem pairs also hover for lengthy periods over water. Copulation lengthy and may be broken and resumed. Female oviposits in tandem with male supported in air or solo, at surface or submerged.
46
Slender Bluet male—Floyd Co., GA, May 2006; female—Essex Co., MA, July 2004, Tom Murray
Habitat Lakes and ponds, open or with abundant vegetation.
Flight Season NE Jun–Aug, TX May.
Distribution Also east to New Hampshire and northwestern Florida.
Comments All western populations are subspecies E. t. westfalli.
47 Double-striped Bluet Enallagma basidens TL 21–28, HW 10–15
Description Tiny bluet with doubled thoracic stripes. Postocular spots form narrow interrupted line, dashes at ends may be small, isolated. Male: Eyes blue. Both median and humeral stripes divided longitudinally into pair of narrow stripes. Abdomen with S1–2 with black stripe above, expanded subapically on S2; S3 with narrow black line ending in apical ring; S4–6 with apical ring sharply pointed at front; S7 mostly black above but also pointed in front; S8–9 entirely blue, S10 black above. Female: Eyes tan. Thorax tan with stripes as in male. Black along top of all abdominal segments except S9–10 (sometimes tip of S8), which are blue. Sides of middle segments also blue, brighter toward rear.
Identification Besides very small size for bluet, doubled median and humeral stripes in both sexes unique among group, thorax looking finely instead of coarsely striped. In males, entirely blue eyes, with no black “cap,” unusual among bluets, although shared by slender, pale eastern bluets and many DANCERS. Narrow black line on S3 on largely blue abdomen also unique. Females distinctive among typical bluets in gradually becoming bluer toward rear, with tan head, thorax, and abdomen base but increasing blue on sides and then tip of abdomen. No DANCER colored exactly like this either. Male Double-striped a bit darker blue than Familiar Bluet, with which it often occurs.
Natural History Males and tandem pairs can be very common, almost swarming among beds of vegetation and flying well out over open water. Both spend much time hovering over open water, characteristic of species. Females oviposit in tandem or solo after being released by male, on floating sedges or submergent vegetation they can reach from surface. Females also descend underwater, breaking tandem before male is submerged and, in at least some cases, male hovering above.
Habitat Ponds, lake margins, and slow streams with much emergent vegetation.
Flight Season CA May–Sep, AZ Mar–Oct, NM Mar–Nov, NE May–Sep, TX Jan–Nov.
Distribution Ranges south in Mexico to Baja California, Chihuahua, and Tamaulipas, and east to Connecticut and northwestern Florida.
47
Double-striped Bluet male—Kinney Co., TX, July 2004; female—Caldwell Co., TX, May 2005
Description Black and red bluet with purple thoracic stripes. Postocular spots form very narrow transverse line. Smallest individuals in east Texas. Male: Eyes red, purplish above. Thorax red with purple-black stripes, both median and humeral wide; narrow dark stripe on side of thorax as well. Abdomen black with red-purple gloss at base and tip, orange to red-orange low on sides of S1–3 and S7–10. Female: Eyes orange above, yellowish below. Thorax marked as male but pale color orange instead of red. Abdomen entirely black above, dull pale orange on sides. Immature with pale colors pale blue.
Identification Nothing else like male, with red head and thorax and black abdomen, in this region. Female rather like female Orange Bluet but smaller, with much wider humeral stripe with metallic overtones and no orange at abdomen tip. Citrine, Furtive, and Rambur’s Forktails with bright orange thorax show no thoracic stripes.
Natural History Males perch in dense grass or on floating leaves (often water lilies) or fly for extended periods over open water; very difficult to see over dark water. Pairs oviposit on water lilies (often on underside through hole in leaf) and other floating vegetation. One oviposition bout may take up to 30 min.
Habitat Sandy ponds with abundant shore vegetation, usually dense grass, and/or beds of floating vegetation, especially water lilies. In open or surrounded by woodland or forest. Also at slow streams edged by herbaceous vegetation.
Flight Season TX Apr–Sep.
Distribution Ranges east, mostly on Piedmont and Coastal Plain, to Delaware and northern Florida.
48
Burgundy Bluet male, female—San Jacinto Co., TX, May 2005
49 Orange Bluet Enallagma signatum TL 28–37, HW 15–21
Description Slender orange bluet with orange abdomen tip. Postocular spots form transverse line. Male: Eyes orange. Thorax orange with moderately wide black median and humeral stripes, pale antehumeral about as wide as humeral. Abdomen mostly black with orange sides of S1–2, very narrow basal rings on S3–7, low on sides of S8, all of S9, and sides of S10. Female: Polymorphic, may be orange, duller than male; blue (perhaps only younger individuals); or greenish. Eyes brown over greenish or tan. Thoracic stripes as in male, humeral may be a bit narrower. Abdomen black above, most of S9 and all of S10 pale. Immature of both sexes with pale colors pale blue, gradually turns orange.
Identification Male like nothing else in range. Somewhat like male Vesper Bluet but orange instead of yellow and blue. Colored most like male Orange-striped Threadtail, which has ruby-red eyes, less orange on thorax with mostly black sides, prominent white rings on middle abdominal segments, and very little orange at abdomen tip, also even more slender than bluet. Female should be distinguished from female Vesper Bluet, which has much narrower humeral stripe (see that species for more information), and female Burgundy Bluet, which has much wider humeral stripe and no pale color on tip of abdomen. Blue female also like female Turquoise Bluet but less pale color at abdomen tip and no brown in humeral stripe. When faced with puzzling individual, recall that immature Orange Bluet of both sexes can be fairly bright blue.
Natural History Away from water, may be up in trees. Males and pairs in tandem usually at outer edge of grass and sedge beds, fly well out over open water when disturbed. Also common where water lilies cover surface. Although at times seen earlier, most common at water later in day, with late afternoon peak and activity at least until dark, averaging not quite as late as Vesper Bluet. Good example of a species for which midday surveys may be inadequate, although mating has been observed as early as midday. Pairs oviposit in water lilies and floating grass and on algal mats; female or even pair may submerge completely for 10–20 min. May take 12 days to mature, reproductive life as long as 3 weeks.
Habitat Lakes, ponds, and slow streams, quite broad habitat choice.
Flight Season NE May–Oct, TX all year.
Distribution Also eastward across southern Ontario to Nova Scotia and south to southern Florida.
49
Orange Bluet pair with orange female—Dade Co., GA, May 2006; male—Monroe Co., GA, June 2004, Giff Beaton; immature female—West Feliciana Par., LA, March 2003, Gayle and Jeanell Strickland
Description Slender bluet with yellow thorax and restricted blue abdomen tip, active in evening. Postocular spots narrow dumbbell or transverse line. Male: Eyes yellow, more orange above. Thorax yellow with narrow dark brown median stripe, sometimes with pale carina, and quite narrow brown humeral stripe. Abdomen black above, sides of S2–3 bright yellow and narrow pale yellowish basal ring on S3–7; S9 all blue, S10 black above, blue below. Female: Eyes orange-brown over yellow. Surprisingly variable and probably polymorphic, thorax usually greenish to pale turquoise but can be yellow to orange; perhaps geographic variation also involved. Abdomen black above except sides of S9 and all of S10 either blue as in male or more rarely yellow-orange; this variation may not be in all populations. Immature of both sexes with pale colors light blue.
Identification Combination of yellow-orange thorax and blue abdomen tip makes male and blue-tipped female unique in region. Orange-tipped female like Orange Bluet, as are immatures of both sexes, but Vesper has narrower humeral stripe. At close range, it can be seen that Vesper’s antehumeral stripe pale to lower end, whereas that of Orange narrowly but clearly bordered by black at lower end. Both species have pair of pits on top of prothorax where male paraprocts contact female; those in Vesper right in middle, those in Orange a bit closer to front. Immature females also look much like female Turquoise Bluet, although they only rarely occur together; Vesper’s narrow humeral stripe, never interrupted by brown, again furnishes distinction. Turquoise also has more blue on tip, involving S8 as well as S9–10.
Natural History Spends most of day in vegetation, even up in trees, not far from water. Activity of males at water starts in midafternoon and can peak after sunset, later than most other damselflies are flying. Males perch on low vegetation at water, much attracted to lily pads; also commonly fly out over open water. Pairing and oviposition peak still later, and tandem pairs and single females may continue to oviposit while completely dark! Females may mate while still in immature color.
Habitat Typically lakes, usually where woodland available at or near shore.
Flight Season NE Jun–Oct, TX Mar–Oct.
Distribution Ranges east across most of eastern United States and far southeastern Canada to Nova Scotia.
50
Vesper Bluet male, blue female, orange female—Polk Co., FL, April 2005
This genus has two very similar species, the other one in western Mexico. They are much like Enallagma bluets and presumably are related to them, but the yellow face of the males easily distinguishes them. The very long cerci are longer than in most bluets and conspicuous at close range. World 2, NA 1, West 1.
51 Caribbean Yellowface Neoerythromma cultellatum TL 27–31, HW 13–16
Description Mostly black-bodied bluet-like pond damsel with bright yellow face. Postocular spots large, not quite connected by narrow bar that itself can be divided in middle. Male: Eyes yellow in front, black above, greenish below. Black humeral stripe broad, antehumeral stripe about as broad, often yellow-green; sides of thorax blue. Most individuals have prominent narrow black side stripe and spot between it and humeral stripe. Abdomen black, with blue S1–2, basal rings on S3–6, posterior sides of S7, and S8–9. Black V-shaped mark covers much of top of S2, and S10—unlike many bluets—entirely black. Female: Face dull greenish. Eyes brown over greenish-tan. Thorax as male, but antehumeral stripe blue. Abdomen black above, extensive blue on sides of S1–2, less extensive on S3–7, and extending over base as narrow ring; S8 blue with large black subapical spot or black with blue basal ring, S9 blue with black basal spot or black with blue only low on sides, S10 entirely blue.
Identification No other damselfly of our area is blue and black with a bright yellow face. Very long cerci of male also distinctive. Females are much like some species of BLUETS but show a more obvious black stripe on side of thorax, together with a small spot there, and have a mixture of blue and black on S8–9 different from any other. Fortunately overlaps in range with very few BLUETS, which are almost absent from tropical lowlands. Female Familiar Bluet most likely to be seen with it, but that has black on top of posterior abdominal segments and no stripe or spot behind humeral stripe on side of thorax.
Natural History Often rests flat on lily pads but also perches on emergent grasses and sedges at edge of water. Males usually associated with open water rather than dense vegetation. Commonly fly out over open water, much like many bluets, and stay just above surface. Pairs and single females oviposit on floating or emergent vegetation at water surface, often laying eggs in semicircle under floating leaves.
Habitat Large open ponds or canals, usually with narrow band of grasses or sedges at shore, but also ponds fairly densely vegetated with floating vegetation.
Flight Season TX Apr–Jan.
Distribution Ranges south in lowlands to Venezuela, also in far southern Florida and Greater Antilles.
51
Caribbean Yellowface male—Cameron Co., TX, November 1999, Robert A. Behrstock; female—Tamaulipas, Mexico, September 2007, Marion Dobbs
Forktails are very small to small damselflies of worldwide distribution, including many oceanic islands. Often in dense vegetation, a few species also fly over open water. “Forktail” refers to a forked projection at the end of S10 in males of most species. Eyes in mature individuals appear with a dark cap, horizontal stripes are often but not always evident and are usually lacking in fully mature individuals. Males typically have a blue-tipped black abdomen, an easy distinction from the mostly blue bluets and dancers, but some species of both of those groups display a similar pattern. Dark abdominal markings are usually parallel-sided, covering top of the abdomen, but appear rather bluet-like in Desert Forktail. The combination of green thorax and blue-tipped abdomen is mostly typical of forktails. Females of many species are polymorphic, heteromorph orange at first and then becoming dark or pruinose, and andromorph brightly colored like the male; heteromorph is always more common. Forktails tend to stay near water even when immature, unlike most other damselflies. Copulating pairs are frequently seen in some species, infrequently in others; the sightings presumably are correlated with length of copulation, which varies greatly in forktails. Oviposition is usually into plant tissues at and just below water surface and not in tandem in most forktails, unlike most other pond damsels. This is probably because the sexes gather at the water together, and females have effective ways of discouraging male attention. A number of species pairs or trios include species very similar to one another. In all these cases, two of them are found together at some times and places. These include Desert and Rambur’s; Pacific and Plains; Black-fronted and San Francisco; and Mexican, Western, and Eastern. In most cases, the species are distinguished only by looking at structural details in hand, but there are diagnostic field marks in a few cases. Males of five other species—Citrine, Fragile, Furtive, Lilypad, and Swift—are very distinctive among forktails and among all coexisting damselflies. However, females will always be a problem in parts of the West, and many will be identifiable only in the hand. World 66, NA 14, West 14.
Table 3 Forktail (Ischnura) Identification
52 Swift Forktail Ischnura erratica TL 30–34, HW 16–21
Description Large blue forktail of open water. Male: Eyes green with black cap, face dark, large postocular spots blue. Thorax blue with black median and humeral stripes and narrow black lines along side. Abdomen black with S1, tip of S2, much of S7, and S8–9 blue. Few individuals with almost no blue on S7. Female: Polymorphic, andromorph colored just like male (eyes duller). Heteromorph with eyes green, thorax bright orange at first, changing to green with age, and with black median and humeral stripes and entirely black abdomen. Abdomen in older individuals may become pruinose.
Identification Considerably larger than any other forktails with which it occurs and with black-striped blue thorax, male more likely to be mistaken for a BLUET. But no Pacific Coast BLUET has black abdomen with blue base and tip (see also Exclamation Damsel). Heteromorph female bluet-sized but differs in having abdomen entirely black above, with no narrowing of black toward front of segment as in BLUETS. Orange thorax of immature heteromorph immediately differentiates from all BLUETS, large size from other forktails with that color. Female Taiga Bluet somewhat similar to green and blue females but smaller and scarcely if at all overlaps in distribution and habitat.
Natural History Although not as restricted as similar Lilypad Forktail in East, commonly associated with water lilies. Both sexes perch flat on leaves of water lilies and pondweeds with abdomen tip touching substrate. Also perch on ground, rocks, and logs much more than other forktails. Females often found far from water, more like bluet than forktail. Rapid low flight much like that of Lilypad Forktail characteristic of species; also bend tip of abdomen down in flight, then straighten it when they land. Males display at each other with blue abdomen tip raised. Copulation lengthy, can last an hour or more (84 min in one case). Males seem especially likely to attempt mating with females of other damselfly species and can successfully achieve tandem with some. Females oviposit solo in floating stems, pondweed leaves, and other plant parts; may descend below surface while doing so. One of earliest odonates over much of its range, almost gone by midsummer.
52
Swift Forktail male, andromorph female—Grays Harbor Co., WA, May 2005
52
Swift Forktail orange female—Grays Harbor Co., WA, May 2005; green female—King Co., WA, May 2005
Habitat Ponds, open marshes, and lake margins with abundant shore vegetation but open water also present. Beaver ponds and bog ponds much used, also slow-flowing ditches. Perhaps more restricted than other forktails to habitats with clear water.
Flight Season BC Apr–Aug, WA Apr–Sep, OR Apr–Aug, CA Feb–Sep.
Distribution A lowland or lower-mountain species throughout its range.
53 Lilypad Forktail Ischnura kellicotti TL 24–31, HW 12–18
Description Medium-sized brightly colored forktail inextricably linked to lily pads. Male: Eyes dark blue with large black cap. Postocular spots large, blue. Thorax blue with wide median and humeral stripes. Abdomen black, bright blue on S1, much of S2, tip of S7, and much of S8–10. Female: Eyes green with black cap; postocular spots blue. Thorax and abdomen base as male, abdomen tip with less blue (top of S8–10). Abdomen increasingly pruinose with age, pattern difficult to make out. Immature female patterned as mature female, but all pale areas bright orange; intermediates rarely seen. Change from orange to blue with age quite unusual among odonates. Also noteworthy is wing-color change in both sexes, from bright amber in just-emerged individuals to clear as in most damselflies, with blue upper surface of forewing stigmas in male.
Identification Very distinctive species, most likely to be mistaken for co-occurring Skimming Bluet. Lilypad differs from Skimming by its bright blue eyes, larger postocular spots, and blue on top of S10. Note that blue on S2 crosses rear part of segment in Lilypad, only front part in Skimming. Orange or heavily pruinose females might be mistaken for immature or mature female Eastern Forktail, respectively, but orange abdomen tip or blue pruinosity rather than white or gray makes for easy distinction. Then there is typical Lilypad Forktail behavior; Eastern rarely if ever rests on lily pads.
53
Lilypad Forktail male—Clay Co., FL, June 2004; orange female—Lowndes Co., GA, November 2004, Giff Beaton; blue female—Leon Co., FL, April 2005
Natural History Both sexes almost invariably perch flat on lily pads, with abdomen curled down near end to touch leaf (for support? predator detection?). Flight rapid and low between perches, streaking rather than fluttering. Both orange and blue females mate, but mating seldom seen, so perhaps female mates only once. Larvae live under water lily leaves. Few odonates so closely tied to a single type of plant.
Habitat Ponds and lakes with extensive beds of water lilies.
Flight Season TX May–Aug.
Distribution Also widely in the East from Wisconsin to Maine and south to Florida.
54 Furtive Forktail Ischnura prognata TL 30–37, HW 14–20
Description Long, slender forktail of southern swamps. Male: Eyes green, tiny postocular spots blue, thorax green with black stripes, abdomen black above, yellowish on sides; S9 blue. Female: Immature with eyes dull orange; face, postocular spots, thorax except thin black midline, and S1–3 bright orange; rest of abdomen black above. With maturity, eyes green, head and front of thorax dull metallic brownish, sides of thorax pale, whitish to greenish or bluish. Often a small dark triangle on sides of thorax at wing base just behind dark median stripe. Abdomen black above with varying amounts of gray pruinosity.
Identification Only forktail so long and slender. If size and shape not sufficient, presence of blue only on S9 is a good mark for males (Rambur’s has blue on S8 also). Mature females distinguished from other dark species with at least some abdominal pruinosity (Citrine, Eastern, Fragile) by often pale bluish or greenish sides (others are usually gray to white), stigmas graded from dark proximally to light distally (others all dark). Dull-colored mature female Rambur’s also looks like Furtive but less elongate, rarely if ever overlap in habitat. Rambur’s typically has pale postocular spots; Furtive lacks them. Immature females colored much like immature female Citrine but much larger; also Citrine shows much more orange on abdomen, S1–5 and S9–10. Immature female Rambur’s has less orange, usually only on S1–2 (S1–3 in Furtive).
54
Furtive Forktail male, immature female, female—Highlands Co., FL, April 2005
Natural History Both sexes, mature and immature, usually present together in preferred habitat; apparently do not wander away from water and never move into open habitats. Move slowly through dense beds of vegetation in flight, even up into lower tree branches; long abdomen probably adaptation to hovering. Reproductive behavior not recorded.
Habitat Swamps and swampy borders of slow streams, always under canopy. Usually associated with dense growth of herbaceous plants such as tall grasses, water smartweed, and lizard’s tail.
Flight Season TX May.
Distribution Occurs in the East from Arkansas and Indiana to Massachusetts and south to Louisiana and Florida.
55 Rambur’s Forktail Ischnura ramburii TL 27–36, HW 15–19
Description Large, brightly marked forktail very common in South. Male: Eyes green with black cap, tiny postocular spots blue. Thorax green with wide median and humeral stripes; antehumeral stripe narrow, rarely broken. Abdomen shiny black above, golden on sides; S8 blue, S9–10 black above, blue on sides. Populations at the far western edge of the U.S. range with all of S9 blue also. Female: Polymorphic. Heteromorph with postocular spots, thorax, and S1–2 bright orange with black midline, abdomen otherwise entirely black above, pale greenish on sides of S3–7 and orange on sides of S8–10. Thorax becomes duller and eventually orangey-brown to greenish-brown with maturity, with faint paler antehumeral stripe; sides of abdomen pale tan throughout. Andromorph colored just like male, also varying geographically, with blue thorax when immature.
Identification Males and andromorph females easily distinguished from all other damselflies in range by large size (for a forktail) and blue S8 and sides of S9 (but also covering S9 in Southwest). Other forktails in range with green, striped thorax and blue abdomen tips are smaller and have S8–9 blue, S8 with black stripe on side (Desert, Eastern), or longer and more slender with S9 blue (Furtive). Lilypad Forktail and several bluets superficially similar, but all with blue thorax. Immature andromorph female Rambur’s also with blue thorax, but no others with abdomen tip similarly colored. See also female Furtive Forktail.
55.1
Rambur’s Forktail male—Starr Co., TX, November 2005; inset andromorph female—Clark Co., NV, October 2005, Steve Potter; immature heteromorph female—Monroe Co., FL, April 2005; heteromorph female—Hidalgo Co., TX, May 2005
55.2
Rambur’s Forktail pair with andromorph female—Bexar Co., TX, July 2004
Natural History Both sexes at or near water most of time. Males and sometimes mating pairs can be very common in preferred habitats, often more out in open than other forktails, at edge of vegetation beds. Both female morphs commonly seen in pairs, orange immatures relatively rarely. Copulation very lengthy, averaging 200 min and up to 7 hr, majority occurring in afternoon. Females of copulating pairs typically grab substrate, unlike most pond damsels but apparently characteristic of at least some forktails. Abdomen has to be very flexible to do this. Oviposition solo, mostly in late afternoon, in floating leaves, stems, and debris. Effective predator on other small damselflies.
Habitat Occurs in great variety of habitats in lowland range—lakes, ponds, marshes, ditches, even brackish waters, as long as some shore vegetation such as grasses and sedges present. Also found at high elevations at large lakes in Mexico and Central America and one such locality in Arizona, Point of Pines Lake in ponderosa pine zone at 6200 feet.
Flight Season CA Feb–Dec, AZ Feb–Dec, NM Apr–Oct, TX all year.
Distribution Ranges south, mostly in lowlands, to Chile and Paraguay, and throughout the Southeast north to Indiana and Maine.
56 Desert Forktail Ischnura barberi TL 28–35, HW 14–19
Description Large forktail of arid Southwest with much pale coloration. Male: Eyes blue-green, tiny postocular spots blue and connected by a narrow line. Thorax green, with black median and humeral stripes; antehumeral stripe often paler green or golden. Abdomen shiny black above, with well-developed torpedo markings, conspicuously golden-orange on sides; S8–9 and sides of S10 blue (blue may also extend forward on side of S7). Female: Polymorphic, heteromorph with eyes brown, paler below, large dumbbell-shaped orange postocular spots; surprisingly variable, with thorax either entirely pale orange to tan or with very narrow or relatively narrow black median stripe. Rarely have trace of dark humeral stripes, even more rarely complete stripes (perhaps only in northern California) that make them look just like bluet! Abdomen black, orange to tan on sides, with S1, often S2, and most of S8–10 same pale color (usually black spot on S9). Uncommon variants have S8–10 all dark or all blue! Older individuals become dull brownish all over, even somewhat grayish with pruinosity on sides of thorax. Andromorph colored just like male.
Identification Only species of similar size and color is Rambur’s Forktail. Usually distinguishable because Desert has S8–9 entirely blue, Rambur’s only S9, but populations of Rambur’s in southern Nevada, western Arizona, and southeastern California, in midst of range of Desert, also have S8 blue (both have sides of next segment blue). In male and andromorph female Desert, pale salmon coloration prominent on sides of middle abdominal segments and extends up at rear end of each middle segment, almost connecting across top, so black reduced in view from above; no such extension in Rambur’s. Antehumeral stripe conspicuously broader than in Rambur’s; that and abdominal pattern should allow easy identification in field. Antehumeral stripe often different color from side of thorax, but some individuals exactly like Rambur’s in this. In addition, small isolated postocular spots in Rambur’s, slightly larger spots connected by line in Desert. Heteromorph females much paler than orange immature Rambur’s females and differently colored than greenish-brown mature females, with much narrower median stripe on thorax or, commonly, lacking that stripe entirely. Female Rambur’s always show wide black median stripe. Abdomen tip usually with less black than Rambur’s, often entirely pale. Rare bluet-patterned individuals distinguished by comparing their structure with real BLUETS.
Natural History Typically perches in sedges and grasses at shoreline, sometimes at high densities. Mating pairs common in afternoon. Female oviposits alone at surface, often laying on underside of floating leaves.
Habitat A great variety of lakes, ponds, marshes, canals, and ditches, all having in common somewhat alkaline or even saline water. Larvae survive drying of ephemeral playa lakes in New Mexico in masses of damp stonewort. Common in some tidal marshes in south coastal California.
Flight Season CA Mar–Nov, AZ Mar–Oct, NM Mar–Nov, NE Jun–Sep, TX Apr–Oct.
Distribution Ranges south in Mexico to northern Baja California and Sonora.
56
Desert Forktail male—Sonora, Mexico, April 2005, Doug Danforth; andromorph female, heteromorph female—Graham Co., AZ, August 2007
Description Small, slender forktail of far West with pale dots on thorax. Male: Eyes green with black cap. Head black with small blue postocular spots. Thorax blue, black anterior surface with paired blue dots representing ends of antehumeral stripes. Abdomen black, S8–9 blue, each with incomplete black stripe low on sides. Female: Polymorphic. Eyes greenish with black cap when mature. Heteromorph originally with head spots and legs pale orange. Thorax pale pinkish-orange with rather narrow black median stripe and very narrow black humeral stripe. Abdomen black above, with sides of S1–2 paler pinkish-orange, S8 and sides of S9 blue with variable black markings low on side of S8. With age, head and legs become mostly black, and pale markings on thorax become brown, eventually obscured even more by dark gray pruinosity; blue disappears from abdomen tip, so overall a plain dark damselfly with greenish face and lower part of eyes. Andromorph similarly patterned to heteromorph at first, but pale colors on head and thorax blue. This also becomes obscured by pruinosity with age, but blue on face, wing bases, and abdomen tip remains; sides of thorax blue-gray.
57.1
Pacific Forktail male—Grant Co., WA, August 2007; andromorph female—Marion Co., OR, June 2005, Jay Withgott
57.2
Pacific Forktail immature heteromorph female—Kittitas Co., WA, July 2003; immature andromorph female—Teton Co., WY, September 2007; heteromorph female—Kitsap Co., WA, September 2005
Identification Only other species with similar male pattern of four pale dots on thorax is Plains Forktail. Distinguishable in close view where they overlap, mostly in Rockies, by distinctly elevated “fork” at abdomen tip in Pacific, lacking in Plains. Young female like same stage of Plains Forktail, as mature female identical except prothorax structure. Andromorph of Plains more likely than Pacific to have dots on thorax lengthened, but not definitive. Mature females differ from female Mexican and Western Forktails by much darker color, no pale pruinosity. Immature females of latter species have entirely orange thorax and abdomen base, not pinkish.
Natural History Males perch in and around dense beds of aquatic vegetation, and both sexes in herbaceous vegetation near water. Males display at one another with abdomen tip raised. Copulation lengthy, lasting up to several hours and usually occurring in afternoon. Male thus prevents other males from access to female until too late in day. Note both male and female hold onto substrate during copulation, unlike dancers and bluets, in which female usually suspended in midair supported by male. Females then oviposit during following morning, often active before males. Males then dominate later in day. Females oviposit in all kinds of floating vegetation, even on undersides of leaves but submerge only abdomen. Earliest odonate to fly in northern part of range. Length of adult life up to 15 days.
Habitat Any sort of lake, pond, marsh, or ditch with abundant vegetation, much less often at edge of running water. Common in midst of beds of tall cattails and bulrushes where few other odonates are found. In Northwest, more likely to colonize backyard ponds than other damselflies. At hot springs at Banff, Alberta.
Flight Season BC Mar–Sep, AB May–Sep, WA Mar–Oct, OR Mar–Oct, CA all year, MT May–Oct, AZ Mar–Dec.
Distribution Ranges south in Mexico to Baja California Sur and Sonora.
Forktails - female prothorax
58 Plains Forktail Ischnura damula TL 23–34, HW 11–19
Description Small, slender forktail of Great Plains and Rockies with pale dots on thorax. Male: Eyes green with black cap. Small blue postocular spots. Thorax blue, black anterior surface with paired blue dots representing ends of antehumeral stripes. Anterior pair of spots sometimes absent. Abdomen black, S8–9 blue, each with incomplete black stripe low on sides. Female: Polymorphic. Heteromorph originally with eyes tan, darker above; head spots and legs pale orange. Thorax with moderate median stripe and quite narrow humeral stripe, pale color pinkish-orange. Abdomen black, base (S1, much of S2) pinkish-orange becoming blue; S8 and sides of S9 blue with variable black markings low on side of S8. With age, head and legs become mostly black, and pale markings on thorax become tan, eventually obscured even more by dark gray pruinosity. Pink postocular spots and blue abdomen tip retained into maturity. Andromorph colored exactly as mature male but less blue on abdomen tip (only S8, sometimes on S9), and lower spots may be extended toward upper ones as exclamation point.
Identification Males similar only to Pacific Forktail, overlapping widely in Rockies. Not distinguishable except at close range in side view, when elevated process on end of abdomen characteristic of Pacific could be seen. Projection on S10 barely above abdomen and scarcely forked in Plains, raised well above abdomen and distinctly forked in Pacific. Also, in Plains paraprocts strongly curved and rather short, in Pacific longer and straighter. Females also similar in all stages and morphs, can be distinguished only by prothorax; Pacific has long hairs projecting backward and toward midline, Plains lacks them. As in Pacific, Plains females quite blackish rather than the gray of mature heteromorph female Eastern, Mexican, and Western Forktails. Immature females of those species have entirely orange thorax and abdomen base, not pinkish. Note that very rare individuals of Eastern Forktail may have antehumeral stripe represented as spots, and such an individual well outside range of Plains could cause some excitement.
Natural History Both sexes, mature and immature, may be abundant in marshy vegetation at edge of water, not flying over open water. Often seen to hold wings partially open after landing, then close them. Females oviposit at surface in floating vegetation, including willow catkins. Adults become mature in a few days.
58.1
Plains Forktail male—Apache Co., AZ, July 2007; andromorph female—Catron Co., NM, July 2003
58.2
Plains Forktail immature heteromorph female, heteromorph female—Apache Co., AZ, July 2007
Habitat Dense vegetation beds at lake margins, ponds, and slow streams and ditches, and hot springs.
Flight Season YT Jun, BC May–Jul, AZ Mar–Oct, NM Feb–Oct, NE May–Aug, TX May–Sep.
Distribution Highly disjunct range puzzling but may indicate special habitat needs. Only at hot springs in isolated populations in British Columbia and Yukon.
59 Mexican Forktail Ischnura demorsa TL 21–26, HW 11–15
Description Small, common forktail of southwestern streams with green-striped thorax and blue abdomen tip. Male: Eyes green with black cap; small postocular spots also green. Thorax green with black median and rather wide humeral stripes; antehumeral stripe narrower than humeral. Abdomen black above, S1–2 and part of S3 green on sides, middle segments tan on sides; S8–9 blue, usually with incomplete and tapering black stripe low on side of both segments. Female: Polymorphic. Heteromorph with eyes greenish-tan, brown above; moderate-sized separated postocular spots and stripe on face orange. Thorax orange with wide median and fairly narrow humeral stripes, antehumeral about as wide as humeral. Abdomen shiny black above, with variable amounts of orange at base (at least S1 and half of S2, at most all of S1–2 and most of S3); S3–7 may have prominent pale basal rings. Tip also variable in amount of orange, as much as S9–10 and bit of S8. Darkens with maturity until entirely dark and covered with light to dark gray pruinosity, striped pattern of thorax vaguely visible. Less common andromorph also appears to have orange or blue thorax at first, but postocular spots and dorsal spots on abdomen blue (tip of S8, all of S9, and base of 10 blue at greatest extreme); indistinguishable from heteromorph when mature.
59.1
Mexican Forktail male, female—Chihuahua, Mexico, September 2005
59.2
Mexican Forktail immature heteromorph female, immature andromorph female—Chihuahua, Mexico, September 2005
Identification No other forktail with green striped thorax and blue-tipped abdomen in much of range. Overlaps with Western sparingly in Colorado, Kansas, and New Mexico and Eastern in eastern Colorado and New Mexico and western Kansas and Oklahoma. In those areas, males distinguished in hand by side view of appendages, in particular forked paraprocts. Those in Mexican with upper part of fork longest and projecting well behind cerci, in Western with both forks about equal and not much longer than cerci, in Eastern with lower part of fork distinctly longest and projecting. Also, male Eastern lacks tiny green spots on either side of prothorax present in Mexican and Western. Eastern and Western both average wide, rectangular black markings on S8–9, whereas markings in Mexican more likely to be narrower and tapering, but much overlap. Females also impossible to distinguish in field, must be examined in hand. Mesostigmal plates in Mexican have flange lifted above only outer two-thirds of plate, whereas other two have this flange extending entire length of plate. Western has rear of prothorax rounded, Eastern has it angulate, with shelf projecting out from under it. Some immature females with blue thorax could be mistaken for female BLUET with dark abdomen, but forktails would have conspicuous blue at abdomen tip. Also, black on each abdominal segment in most forktails is even-sided, not the tapered condition of BLUETS.
Natural History Males and immature and mature females often common in dense herbaceous vegetation at water’s edge. Beds of grass around ponds can be full of them. Most females mate only once, then use that male’s sperm to fertilize all eggs they lay. On some occasions, females common with no males in sight. Oviposit in floating vegetation of all sorts. Females mature in just a few days.
Habitat Slow-moving streams and ditches, more common on streams than most other forktails, but also weedy shores of lakes and ponds.
Flight Season AZ Mar–Dec, NM Feb–Nov, TX Apr–Nov.
Distribution Ranges south in uplands of Mexico to Oaxaca.
Forktails - female mesostigmal plates
60 Western Forktail Ischnura perparva TL 23–30, HW 11–17
Description Typical small forktail with striped thorax and blue-tipped abdomen. Male: Eyes green with black cap. Face bright green, postocular spots bluish-green. Thorax bright green, with wide black median and humeral stripes; antehumeral distinctly narrower than humeral. Abdomen black except sides of S1–3 green; S8–9 blue, each with a short but thick black stripe low on sides. Female: Polymorphic. Heteromorph when young, black and orange. Eyes greenish-tan with brown cap. Postocular spots large, orange, joined by bar. Thorax with wide black median and narrow black humeral stripes. Abdomen orange on S1–2 and much of S3, in some individuals extending well onto S4, remainder shiny black above (rarely with blue at tip). Some females orange at rear of S8 and S9, and some orange on sides of S8–10; at most extreme much of S8–10 orange. Mature females become entirely gray or even white pruinose with black median and humeral stripes obscured but still visible, face and eyes green. Intermediates so rarely seen in this and other forktails that color change must happen very rapidly. Very rarely seen immature andromorph colored much like male but more black on base of S8. None has been seen at maturity, presumably becomes pruinose and looks like mature heteromorph.
Identification Occurs mostly with Pacific Forktail, from which males distinguished by green thorax with stripes and fairly obvious pale rings on some abdominal segments. No trace of rings on Pacific, which has blue thorax with four dots on black front. Overlaps broadly with Eastern and Mexican Forktails on western Great Plains, distinguishable in hand and conceivably in close-focusing binoculars by shape of paraprocts (see Mexican Forktail). Also, male Eastern lacks tiny green spots on either side of prothorax present in Mexican and Western. Females of these three species distinguishable only by structure of prothorax and mesostigmal plates.
Natural History Males in small numbers at most locations, usually within dense vegetation. Vastly outnumbered by mature females busily ovipositing. At some times and places, females common at water and no males seen! Immature (orange) and mature (pruinose) females both seen in mating pairs, but pairs rarely seen considering abundance of females. Most females probably mate only once, then use that male’s sperm to fertilize all eggs they lay. Females oviposit solo, horizontal on surface of floating vegetation, making short flights between bouts of egg deposition and often quite conspicuous. Very effective at repelling attention of male forktails and bluets by fluttering wings and curling abdomen tip down.
Habitat Marshy edges of lakes, ponds, and slow streams, especially in sedge and grass beds. More common on streams than most other forktails.
Flight Season BC Apr–Sep, WA Apr–Oct, OR Apr–Oct, CA Mar–Nov, MT May–Sep, NM May–Jul, NE Apr–Jun.
60
Western Forktail male—Kittitas Co., WA, August 2006; immature heteromorph female—Grant Co., WA, June 2003, Netta Smith; female—King Co., WA, June 2004
Description Typical small forktail with black-striped green thorax and blue abdomen tip. Male: Eyes and face bright green, postocular spots bluish. Thorax bright green, with black median and humeral stripes. Abdomen black except S1 and sides of S2 green, S8–9 blue, each with short but thick black stripe low on sides. Achieves mature color in 1 day. Female: Polymorphic. Heteromorph when young with orange postocular spots, thorax, and abdomen base. Thorax with wide black median and narrow black humeral stripes. Abdomen orange on S1–2 and much of S3, remainder shiny black above. Mature females become entirely gray pruinose with black median and humeral stripes still visible, face and eyes green. Females take almost a week to achieve mature color. Immature andromorph very rarely seen, colored as male but thorax bluer and more black on base of S8.
Identification Overlaps with Mexican and Western Forktails (see former species) widely in Great Plains as a major identification challenge, overcome by a close look at paraprocts. Fortunately, there is another close-range field mark for males: Eastern lacks tiny green spots on either side of prothorax present in Mexican and Western. Females also indistinguishable except by structure. See also Fragile Forktail, in which mature females can be similar.
Natural History Males perch in dense vegetation at waterside or cruise through it looking for prey and females. Females also present at water and in nearby herbaceous vegetation. Both orange and pruinose females mate. Copulation lasts about 40 min. Most females mate only once, then use male’s sperm to fertilize all eggs they lay. Females repel other damselflies, including males of their own and other species, by fluttering wings and curving abdomen downward. Oviposition solo on floating or emergent stems of grasses, sedges, and other marsh plants. Females much more likely than males to eat other damselflies, teneral and mature. Unlike Western and Mexican Forktails, males usually as common as ovipositing females.
61.1
Eastern Forktail male—Buchanan Co., IA, July 2004; andromorph female—Dallam Co., TX, August 2004, Greg Lasley
61.2
Eastern Forktail immature heteromorph female—Fayette Co., IA, July 2004; heteromorph female—Buchanan Co., IA, July 2004
Habitat Ponds, lakes, marshes, and slow streams, even edges of large rivers, as long as beds of vegetation in quiet water are present. Very wide habitat choice, but not in bogs or fens. Not always obvious in dense grass and sedges but usually quite visible at edges where they can be very common.
Flight Season MT May–Aug, NM May–Oct, NE May–Oct, TX Apr-Oct.
Distribution Also east across southern Canada to Newfoundland and south to Arkansas and South Carolina.
62 Black-fronted Forktail Ischnura denticollis TL 22–26, HW 11–15
Description Tiny and shiny blue-tipped forktail of western marshes. Male: Eyes green with black cap, postocular spots blue. Thorax unmarked shiny black in front, blue-green on sides. Abdomen black above, blue-green on sides of S1–3, upper surfaces of S8–9 mostly but not entirely blue. Female: Polymorphic. Heteromorph with green eyes, wide median and narrow humeral stripe black. Immature with head markings, thorax, and sides of abdomen base pink. Abdomen black above, with blue spots on S8–9 as in male. With maturity, postocular spots, thorax, and abdomen base become blue or green. Still later, thorax gets darker and duller and blue on abdomen tip replaced by black. Rarer andromorph much like heteromorph but pale color always blue; antehumeral stripe may be interrupted, represented by pair of spots, or absent.
Identification Male only damselfly in most of range with combination of unmarked black front of thorax and blue at abdomen tip restricted to dorsal spot rather than filling entire segments. Thorax a bit greener than in Pacific Forktail. On central California coast, may occur with extremely similar San Francisco Forktail, males distinguished only in hand by appendages. Female differs from female San Francisco structurally; also averages more blue at abdomen tip. Arrangement of that blue, as dorsal spots surrounded by black, different from all other damsels in range except San Francisco. Pacific and Plains Forktail females have blue only on top of S8 (Rambur’s with blue on S9 have S8–9 entirely blue, not blue-spotted on top). Mature females lacking blue on abdomen may have to have thoracic structures examined for certain identification, although Black-fronted distinctly smaller than Pacific and Plains and darker than mature females of pruinose group (Citrine, Mexican, Western).
62.1
Black-fronted Forktail male—Harney Co., OR, July 2006; heteromorph female—Chihuahua, Mexico, September 2005; andromorph female—Inyo Co., CA, June 2003
62.2
Black-fronted Forktail pair—Harney Co., OR, July 2005
Natural History Males can be abundant in dense marsh vegetation, like similarly colored sprites rather hard to see. Often challenge each other head to head. Copulation lasts about 20 min, tandem 23 min before oviposition, then oviposition 24 min. Pairs oviposit in tandem flat on floating vegetation or at moist base of sedge and grass stems. One of only two North American forktails to oviposit in tandem (San Francisco the other). A few eggs are laid in one spot, then the pair moves and rests briefly before another few are laid, and same behavior repeated. Maximum longevity 42 days, quite high for damselfly; sexual maturation in 6–9 days.
Habitat Dense marshes, typically with low sedges but sometimes in cattails, in still or slow-flowing waters, and sometimes on more open streams or ponds wherever marsh plants grow densely. Often associated with springs, both hot and cold.
Flight Season OR Apr–Oct, CA Feb–Dec, AZ Mar–Nov, NM all year, TX Mar–Aug.
Distribution Ranges south in uplands to Guatemala.
Comments Where they overlap in range, this species and San Francisco Forktail hybridize. Hybrids will defy identification.
Forktails - female prothorax
63 San Francisco Forktail Ischnura gemina TL 23–28, HW 12–17
Description Small forktail of central California coast with glossy black front of thorax. Male: Eyes black over green, face with transverse green stripes, postocular spots blue. Thorax shiny black in front, blue-green on sides. Abdomen shiny black above, blue-green on sides of S1–2 and part of 3; S8–9 light blue above. Female: Polymorphic. Heteromorph when young with eyes brown, face and head spots orange-pink. Thorax orange-pink with wide black median stripe and narrow black humeral stripes. Abdomen black above, faint blue line at base of S2 and middorsal pale streaks on S8–10. Gets darker, duller with age. Uncommon andromorph colored as male, but blue on abdomen tip varying from like that of male to almost absent.
Identification Black-fronted Forktail only similar species in range, looks identical in field. Distinguish in hand by male appendages (simple in San Francisco, more elaborate in Black-fronted, with obvious spine projecting rearward from paraprocts), female prothorax (San Francisco lacks pair of projections on top characteristic of Black-fronted). Identification may be confounded by hybridization. Color pattern of both sexes different from Pacific and Western Forktails that may occur with it.
Natural History Both sexes together in dense vegetation, rarely seen out of restricted breeding habitat. Active at breeding sites in poor weather. Males more likely at edge and over water, females often in nearby grasses and shrubs. Copulation averages 44 min, tandem 36 min, during which oviposition occurs. Some solo oviposition, usually by older females. Maturation time around a week, reproductive adults live 1–3 weeks (maximum 41 days).
Habitat Still, dense sedgy habitat, including small marshes, some at foot of seepage slopes; also slow-flowing streams and canals. Most are in urban areas.
Flight Season CA Mar–Nov.
Distribution Very locally distributed in the San Francisco Bay region. May have disappeared from locations in the southern part of its former range, perhaps from hybridization with Black-fronted.
Comments Hybridizes with Black-fronted Forktail at few places on south side of bay, hybrids with intermediate structure.
63
San Francisco Forktail male, heteromorph female—San Francisco Co., CA, June 2004
64 Fragile Forktail Ischnura posita TL 22–29, HW 10–16
Description Tiny dark forktail with bright exclamation points on thorax. Male: Eyes green, face yellow-green; mostly shiny black, thorax with interrupted antehumeral stripe and sides light green, becoming slightly pruinose with age. Abdomen black, sides of S1–2 light green. Very rarely with bit of blue on top of S9 (Mexican subspecies with more). All pale markings yellow-green or even yellow in western part of range. Female: Immature as male but postocular spots and thoracic color pale to bright blue. Very rarely spot of blue on S9. Pattern becomes obscure with age, may be almost covered by gray pruinosity on thorax and abdomen but thoracic pattern usually remains at least barely visible.
Identification In flight, especially in sun, males look like tiny spot of golden-green moving through vegetation because bright thoracic pattern is the only feature visible. Often found with equally small Citrine Forktail, mature female similar but a bit more robust and with pruinosity usually obscuring black median thoracic stripe that is visible in Citrine. Mature female might be mistaken for same of Eastern Forktail, but a bit smaller and interrupted humeral stripe often visible even through pruinosity. Fragile females more likely to have narrow lateral thoracic stripe than Eastern, and line of demarcation between dark dorsal and pale ventral color on S8 often more irregular in Eastern. Note Fragile females lack vulvar spine on S8 present in Eastern.
Natural History Usually remains within dense vegetation, both herbaceous and shrubby, but also on beds of floating plants such as water lilies, pondweeds, and mare’s tail. Seems likely to come out from vegetation during cooler, cloudy weather, perhaps because predation from larger odonates unlikely then. Males perch from water surface up to waist high. Females oviposit solo on duckweed and other floating vegetation and emergent stems, even a few inches above water level. Night roost sites average higher than daytime perches, and abdomen more elevated, perhaps to catch morning sun. As other forktails, females persistent predators on other damselflies.
Habitat Ponds, lake shores, swamps, ditches, and slow streams with abundant herbaceous vegetation, including spring-fed. Often in dense grass or sedge beds as other forktails but also common in other herbaceous plant beds in shady wooded situations.
Flight Season NE May–Oct, TX all year.
Distribution Also widespread across all of eastern United States and southern Canada to Newfoundland and south into eastern Mexico.
Comments Northern subspecies I. p. posita not found south of border, but additional very local subspecies (I. p. atezca) in northeastern Mexico (Tamaulipas, Hidalgo) and another (I. p. acicularis) from Yucatán Peninsula to Guatemala.
64
Fragile Forktail male—Alachua Co., FL, April 2005; immature female—Early Co., GA, July 2007; female—Alachua Co., FL, April 2005
Description Tiny mostly yellow damselfly, unique in that male fore-wing stigmas are not at wing edge. Male: Eyes yellow in front, green behind, with large black cap. Thorax striped green and black, with narrow antehumeral and wide humeral stripe. Abdomen yellow, green at extreme base; S1–2 black above, S3–6 with black basal spearpoint and apical ring, may be joined on S6; S7–10 all yellow. Female: Eyes dull greenish with brown cap, prominently banded with black. Thorax black in front, gray on upper sides, white on lower sides. Abdomen black above, eventually becoming pruinose gray, often faintly banded with darker gray. Immature with face, postocular spots, pale areas on thorax and abdomen orange. During maturation, S6–8 and parts of S5 and S9 become black above. Gradually becomes greenish and then increasingly pruinose when mature, heavier (paler) in dry climates.
Identification Yellow males unmistakable. Orange immature females differ from orange immatures of other forktails by lacking dark humeral stripe. Mature females in wetter areas more likely to be dull blackish, in drier regions can be quite pale gray pruinose. In either case, very similar to mature females of other pruinose species, Eastern, Fragile, Mexican, and Western Forktails, but distinguished by shiny black median stripe on front of thorax (pruinosity obscures stripe in other species) with no trace of distinct humeral stripe (sometimes obvious in other species).
Natural History Both sexes can be found at very high densities in appropriate habitat, sometimes both matures and immatures rising in clouds when disturbed from dense vegetation at shallow grassy or sedgy ponds. Mating seldom seen, perhaps because most females mate only once, then use sperm of that male to fertilize all eggs they lay. Copulation throughout day, with both immature and mature females. Oviposition much less often seen than in other forktails.
65.1
Citrine Forktail male—Travis Co., TX, June 2007, Eric Isley; immature female—Cochise Co., AZ, September 2004
65.2
Citrine Forktail female—Clay Co., FL, April 2005; very pruinose female—Sonora, Mexico, August 2006, Netta Smith
Habitat Ponds and lake margins densely vegetated with grasses and/or sedges, also temporary ponds with similar vegetation, at least in southern part of range. Good disperser, taken by winds far above ground, so may turn up in inappropriate habitats.
Flight Season CA Mar–Nov, AZ Feb–Dec, NM Jan–Oct, NE Jun–Sep, TX all year.
Distribution Sparsely distributed in Southwest and on southern Great Plains. Ranges south in lowlands to Venezuela; isolated populations on Galapagos and Azores. Also widespread in East north to Wisconsin, southern Ontario, and Maine.
Forktails - male appendages
This is a dominant genus at ponds and lakes in the New World tropics, with up to a dozen species at some South American localities. A single species makes it into our geographic area. Males have blue abdomen tip; those of open ponds and lakes throughout the range have a blue thorax, whereas those of wooded swamps in South America, orange thorax; all have blue S9. The common name for this group comes from the elevated abdomen tip, found in many but not all species and prominent in some of them even more so than ours. World 42, NA 1, West 1.
66 Mexican Wedgetail Acanthagrion quadratum TL 29–33, HW 16–18
Description Bluet-like Texas border species, males with distinctive abdomen tip. Male: Eyes mostly black, green below; large postocular spots blue. Thorax blue with black median and humeral stripes, fine black line low on sides. Abdomen black with sides of S1–2, end of S7, and all of S8–9 blue. Female: Colored as male but eyes tan below, blue of thorax paler, abdomen with side markings and tip and often base of S8 blue, S9 blue with jagged black marks on either side of base, S10 all blue. Quite variable and less blue on abdomen tip farther south in Mexico.
66.1
Mexican Wedgetail male—Kleberg Co., TX, October 2004, John C. Abbott; female—San Luis Potosí, Mexico, November 2006, Marion Dobbs
66.2
Mexican Wedgetail pair—Hidalgo, Mexico, October 2003, Robert A. Behrstock
Identification Male superficially like several BLUETS except for triangular side view of end of abdomen but not colored exactly like any of the few BLUETS in south Texas. In that area, similar only to Stream Bluet, but that species has only S9 entirely blue (sides of S8 and S10 blue, however) and has obvious blue rings on middle segments lacking in Wedgetail. Females surprisingly similar, Wedgetail with complexly patterned S8, black low on sides of S9 (on top in Stream Bluet). Humeral stripe of Stream Bluet often split lengthwise, and some females with green thorax; never that way in Wedgetail. In hand, cerci of female distinctive, almost touching in dorsal view, whereas those of BLUETS are well separated. Female also has small pits on either side of middorsal carina of thorax, not found in any other North American damselfly.
Natural History Males and pairs perched low at edge of water or scattered through beds of herbaceous vegetation. Males rise up in air while facing one another, displaying with raised abdomen tip. Pairs oviposit in herbaceous vegetation.
Habitat Well-vegetated ponds and slow streams and open marshes, also swampy areas under tree cover.
Flight Season TX May–Oct.
Distribution Ranges south in lowlands to Costa Rica.
This monotypic genus is confined to Middle American plateaus and is distinguished by wing venation and genital morphology. Males have a dusky spot at tip of hindwing, which is actually a patch of very dense veins. The genus is most closely related to Hesperagrion (Painted Damsel) and Anisagrion of farther south, all noteworthy for dramatic color changes with age. World 1, NA 1, West 1.
67 Black-and-white Damsel Apanisagrion lais TL 32–41, HW 18–23
Description Upland pond damsel that looks black and white in its shady habitat. Stigmas in mature individuals with contrasty white borders. Male: Eyes and face green. Thorax black in front, with fine median line, narrow antehumeral line, and diagonal line behind that light green. With maturity, sides pruinose white, eventually covering lower pale line. Abdomen black, white pruinosity on sides of S1–2, all of S8–9, and base of S10. Female: Colored as male but eyes duller green. Abdomen black with white pruinosity on top of S8. Immature head tan with narrow dark stripe between eyes. Thorax tan with fine pale striping evident. Abdomen orange, becoming black on top from rear forward, tip remaining pale until mature pattern developed; S8 blue in females before becoming pruinose.
67
Black-and-white Damsel male, female—Sonora, Mexico, September 2005; immature male—Santa Cruz Co., AZ, September 2006, Robert A. Behrstock
Identification No other pond damsel with pruinose white sides of thorax and tip of abdomen, good mark for both sexes at maturity. Pair of fine light stripes on either side of thorax also distinctive. Immatures much like immature Painted Damsel but distinguished by dark stripe between eyes and quite different pattern on thorax, with fine lines usually visible.
Natural History Both sexes usually perch in dense tall grass and sedges, flying through surprisingly dense stands while foraging. Immature and mature adults often seen in same area, as in forktails and Painted Damsels; immature phase perhaps lengthy. Mating behavior unknown, oviposition by female alone in plant stems at or just below water level.
Habitat Slow-flowing streams in woodland, localized at extensive patches of grass and sedges, also in watercress.
Flight Season AZ Apr–Nov.
Distribution Ranges south in uplands to Honduras.
This genus includes one beautifully colored species of Mexico and the southwestern United States. Because of color changes in females and male appendages, it is considered close to Middle American Apanisagrion and Anisagrion with which it shares some attributes, for example, brightly colored forewing stigmas, as well as to forktails. World 1, NA 1, West 1.
68 Painted Damsel Hesperagrion heterodoxum TL 28–35, HW 16–21
Description Southwestern pond damsel, dazzlingly colored at any age. Male: Eyes when mature green with black cap as in forktails. Shows dramatic color change with age, starts out orange with red eyespots and light brown eyes, then develops black on top of abdomen and front of thorax with eyespots red and base and tip of abdomen red-orange. Base of abdomen then becomes black, and pale markings on thorax, including four spots on front, become blue. Typically these are spots but may extend toward one another or even be connected to form an antehumeral stripe separated from blue of sides by very narrow humeral. Stigma black, bordered with bright blue at distal end and blue reflection in membrane beyond stigma. Female: Eyes green to tan with black cap, as in male. Immature also orange with red eyespots, may vary to orange thorax and red abdomen. Abdomen becomes increasingly black on top, and much of S7 becomes blue; then thorax becomes blue and black exactly as in male, but no trace of red remains.
Identification Nothing else in our area looks like mature red, black, and blue male, and nothing else that occurs with it looks much like any age stage of Painted Damsel, including various intermediate color combinations. Combination of pale spots on front of thorax and much red on abdomen of transition male unique, as is extensive blue only on S7 of transitional and mature females. Pacific and Plains Forktails with spots on thorax but smaller than Painted with no red on head or abdomen. Other red pond damsels smaller than Painted and almost entirely red. Most similar is female Western Red Damsel, orange as immature Painted but considerably shorter. Numerous other female pond damsels have blue on S8 or beyond but restricted to S7 in Painted.
68.1
Painted Damsel male—Catron Co., NM, July 2007; female—Chihuahua, Mexico, September 2005
68.2
Painted Damsel immature male—Santa Cruz Co., AZ, September 2004; immature female—Sonora, Mexico, September 2005
Natural History Immatures and adults of both sexes may be common at streamside, perching in and flying through dense beds of aquatic vegetation and overhanging grasses and sedges. Like forktails, they spend little time in open. Males mate with females of varying ages (and coloration). Copulating pairs may fly up into nearby trees. Female in mature color oviposits solo in herbaceous vegetation in water, often in watercress. While laying eggs, behaves much as female forktail, flying slowly through vegetation from one stem to another and flashing wings, with conspicuous stigmas, to repel other Painted Damsels.
Habitat Slow-flowing small streams and ditches with much streamside herbaceous vegetation. May become established in garden ponds.
Flight Season AZ Mar–Nov, NM Mar–Nov, TX Apr–Nov.
Distribution Ranges south in uplands of Mexico to Oaxaca.
This distinctive genus, with two closely related species, is confined to North America. Its nearest relatives are not obvious. Males are bright red, often with much black; females are duller. Thorax is bulky and quite hairy, with a hairy tubercle (bump) beneath it exaggerated in the western species. World 2, NA 2, West 1.
69 Western Red Damsel Amphiagrion abbreviatum TL 24–28, HW 15–19
Description Small, somewhat chunky red or red and black to red-brown or orange damselfly with tubercle (bump) under thorax behind legs. Male: Red all over with black on sides, less black on top, of S7–10, sometimes black markings on basal and middle segments, even forming regular black rings around abdomen. Thorax varies from some black in front to entirely black. At darkest, head black and eyes dark brown; paler individuals have red on head and reddish eyes. Female: Head, thorax, and abdomen dull brown to orange-brown to bright red-orange. Abdomen often redder than thorax, with black markings on top of S8–9 and sometimes smaller black markings on other segments, forming rings as in male. Some with black on thorax, almost as dark as male. In at least some populations, females entirely dark brown or black. Surprisingly variable.
Identification Only other small red damselfly in range Western Firetail, a more slender species with very little black anywhere on body. Bright red eyes and head of male Firetail easily distinguish it from Red Damsel, with reddish-brown eyes and black head. Females more similar, but female Firetail has distinctive (and consistent) pattern of black on front of thorax. In most areas of overlap, Red Damsel would occur at higher elevations than Firetail, but found together at some places. No other female damselflies in range plain unmarked reddish to reddish-brown.
Natural History Both sexes tend to stay within low and often dense vegetation, although at times feed in more open meadows; night roosts in reeds. Flights short but rapid and more often across open areas than forktails that occur with them. Males and females often found together, as in forktails. Pairs in tandem become common by midday, then decline; oviposit on floating herbaceous vegetation of all kinds, sometimes with male supported upright. Tandem pairs often very elusive, flying some distance when flushed. Tends to be most common in spring.
Habitat Typically marshes associated with springs (both cold and hot) and seepage areas, even in quite arid regions. Also beds of short sedges at borders of lakes, ponds, and slow streams. May be very local in apparently suitable habitat.
Flight Season BC Apr–Sep, WA Apr–Sep, OR Apr–Aug, CA Apr–Sep, MT May–Sep, AZ Apr–Aug, NM May–Sep, NE May–Aug.
Distribution Sparse on northern plains. Ranges south in Mexico to northern Baja California. Extends eastward to eastern Plains, perhaps to Great Lakes.
Comments In eastern part of region, east of Rockies, individuals more slender, with lower bump under thorax, and may be gradual change still farther east to small, slender, relatively long-abdomened Eastern Red Damsel, Amphiagrion saucium. The two may be one, but more study is needed.
69
Western Red Damsel male—Harney Co., OR, July 2005; male—Kittitas Co., WA, August 1999, Netta Smith; female—Grant Co., WA, May 2005
This monotypic genus is confined to eastern North America, barely extending into the area of this book. Half-open wings, unique color of thorax, and long appendages are unique among North American pond damsels. The anterior side of quadrangle in wings is exceptionally long. It is most closely related to Pyrrhosoma, red damselflies with three species in Eurasia. World 1, NA 1, West 1.
70 Aurora Damsel Chromagrion conditum TL 31–39, HW 20–26
Description Like large bluet with partially open wings, easily recognized by lack of humeral stripes and yellow on sides. Black front of thorax with wavy edges and no postocular spots. Male: Eyes blue, with or without one or two fine black stripes around them. Face blue, most of head black with no postocular spots. Middorsal black stripe on thorax with wavy edges; sides of thorax blue with yellow spot low on each side. Abdomen black with S1, sides of S2, basal rings on S3–7, and S8–9 bright blue. Female: Polymorphic, similar to male or with entirely yellow thorax sides. Eyes blue or brown above, gray below, with two black stripes around upper half.
Identification Some stream-dwelling AMERICAN BLUETS somewhat similarly colored, but all have stripes on thorax, median stripe straight-edged, and of course no trace of yellow. Long appendages differentiate male from other blue pond damsels. Half-open wings and long appendages may cause confusion with POND SPREADWINGS, but different thoracic pattern and blue color instead of pruinosity make distinction easy.
70
Aurora Damsel male—Murray Co., GA, June 2003, Giff Beaton; yellow female—Murray Co., GA, May 2006; blue female—Harvard Co., MA, May 2004, Tom Murray
Natural History Often perches with wings half-open, good field mark at a distance. Males perch on vegetation in open but spend much time in flight over water, presumably looking for stationary females. Copulation for 24–54 min, tandem exploration 12–52 min, oviposition 24–51 min. Pairs oviposit at water surface, male supported upright by female and may be carried at least partially underwater by her. Males and pairs most common at water at midday. Look for it in spring.
Habitat Vegetated edges of clear ponds such as beaver ponds and slow streams, very often spring-fed. Also in wooded swamps with cold water flowing through. Usually in low numbers, even in optimal habitat, and not found far from water.
Flight Season MO May–Jun.
Distribution Widespread in East from Minnesota east to Quebec and Nova Scotia, south to Arkansas and Georgia.
This monotypic and perhaps primitive genus is superficially forktail-like and may be related to forktails, but its relationships are by no means clear. It is surprisingly restricted in range as the only odonate endemic to California, and this may represent a relict distribution. The eyes are horizontally striped, and postocular spots are well developed as in typical pond damsels. There is a bump under the thorax, as in red damsels, and a slight indication of the paired elevations on S10 of males that are typical of forktails and wedgetails. World 1, NA 1, West 1.
71 Exclamation Damsel Zoniagrion exclamationis TL 33–35, HW 19–22
Description Pond damsel of California that looks like large bluet with blue at base and near tip of abdomen. Male: Eyes dark brown or black over light brown or greenish. Postocular spots blue, large, and dumbbell-shaped. Thorax blue and black, antehumeral stripes divided into exclamation point, rarely constricted rather than completely divided; narrow black line low on sides. Abdomen black, blue on S1 and all but lower sides of S2; most of S8 blue, extending onto S7 and S9 but falling well short of abdomen tip. Female: Colored as male, antehumeral stripes undivided but slightly pinched; blue patch on abdomen shorter, on tip of S7 and base of S8. May be polymorphic, with either blue or green thorax, rarely brown. Very old individuals can become pruinose gray on thorax and somewhat on abdomen tip.
71
Exclamation Damsel male—Sacramento Co., CA, May 2007, Jim Johnson; female—Sonoma Co., CA, June 2004
Identification Should not be mistaken for BLUET, most like FORKTAIL because of abdominal color pattern. Swift Forktail, only large species with which it occurs, has blue extending through S9 and antehumeral stripes undivided and straight-sided. Swift has S2 mostly black, Exclamation Damsel mostly blue. Bright blue abdomen base distinguishes pruinose female from pruinose FORKTAILS.
Natural History Both sexes forage in sunny clearings near water. Males perch at edge of vegetation over stream, often up to chest height, and both sexes may be present in dense streamside vegetation. Females oviposit alone on vegetation at water surface, including bur-reed leaves hanging into stream. Moves up leaf as she progresses, unlike many other pond damsels that move down.
Habitat Pools in slow small to moderate streams, usually with wooded banks.
Flight Season CA Mar–Aug.
These neotropical damselflies are predominantly red, but there are also a few blue species in South America. Unlike most other North American pond damsels, they lack postocular spots. They are commonly associated with floating vegetation, from tiny duckweeds to water lettuce. Two regional species are distinguished only in hand but may not occur together. World 43, NA 2, West 2.
72 Desert Firetail Telebasis salva TL 24–29, HW 12–16
Description Small red pond damsel of southwestern wetlands. Male: Eyes red above, yellowish below. Head black with no postocular spots, face red. Thorax red to red-orange on sides, paler below; wide black median stripe with irregular outer edge and reddish carina; prominent black streak on sides corresponding to humeral stripe, and small black markings closer to wing bases. Abdomen entirely red. Female: Thoracic markings as in male. Abdomen brown, with faintly indicated paler narrow basal rings and darker apical rings on S3–8. Abdomen can be rather bright, even reddish like male.
Identification See Duckweed Firetail. Narrowly overlaps with Western Red Damsel, which is more robust, with relatively shorter abdomen, darker head and thorax, and much black at end of abdomen. Females more similar, but female Firetails always have narrow black line down front of thorax, female Red Damsels more black.
72
Desert Firetail male—Sonora, Mexico, August 2006; female—Sonora, Mexico, September 2006
Natural History Males become common at water in late morning and early afternoon, followed by buildup in numbers of tandem pairs, but disappear from water later in day. Copulation lasts an hour or more, oviposition a half-hour or more. Pairs oviposit flat on floating vegetation or in grass and other upright emergents; females submerge no more than abdomen. When away from water, may roost up to head height in woody vegetation and probably mate away from water, then fly to it in tandem. Reproductive life up to 22 days.
Habitat Ponds and slow streams, typically in open country but may be bordered by trees and shrubs as long as sun penetrates. Usually associated with floating vegetation such as duckweed or beds of algae, often called “pond scum.” Also inhabit grass and sedge beds where floating vegetation is lacking.
Flight Season CA Apr–Dec, AZ Mar–Dec, NM May–Oct, TX Mar–Jan.
Distribution Ranges south to Venezuela.
Comments Another species, Oasis Firetail (Telebasis incolumis), occurs not far south of border, in wooded watercourses in Baja California. Extremely similar to Desert Firetail but slightly larger and with slightly different male appendages and female mesostigmal plates. It could well occur in far southern California, and observers should watch for firetails larger than usual.
73 Duckweed Firetail Telebasis byersi TL 25–31, HW 13–17
Description Small red pond damsel of duckweed carpets in wooded southeastern wetlands. Male: Eyes red above, yellowish below. Head black with no postocular spots, face red. Thorax reddish on sides, paler below; wide black median stripe with irregular outer edge and reddish carina; prominent black streak on sides corresponding to humeral stripe, and small black markings closer to wing bases. Abdomen entirely red. Female: Eyes brown to reddish brown above, tan below. Head brown with black markings. Thoracic markings as in male but light brown on sides, paling to whitish below. Abdomen brown, upper surface darker and may be almost blackish, with narrow pale basal rings on S3–8.
Identification Ranges of two firetail species approach in eastern Texas, but so far not found together. Cerci in this species obviously more than half length of paraprocts, about half in Desert Firetail. Hind lobe of prothorax with two small processes pointing up in Desert, no such processes in Duckweed. Female abdomen tends to be less marked, more reddish brown in Desert, darker and more patterned in Duckweed, with little hint of reddish. Habitat choice sufficiently different that they may not be found together, but if so, they would have to be distinguished in hand.
73
Duckweed Firetail male, female—Hillsborough Co., FL, June 2004
Natural History Males fly low over and rest on carpet of duckweed on water surface. Pairs oviposit on same carpet.
Habitat Swamps, usually under canopy and typically with an abundance of duckweed or water lettuce, less commonly in water lilies or grass beds.
Flight Season TX May–Sep.
Distribution Widespread in Southeast, north to southern Illinois and Delaware, mostly in Coastal Plain.
Firetails - male appendages
Firetails - female prothorax
This is a small neotropical group of slender, swamp-dwelling damselflies, one of which was recently and surprisingly found in Texas. Most have dramatic color change with age, although not closely related to other genera such as Hesperagrion that do the same. Females have exceptionally long ovipositors. At least some species spend long dry season as immature-colored adults; this may may be universal in the group. World 8, NA 1, West 1.
74 Cream-tipped Swampdamsel Leptobasis melinogaster TL 38–40, HW 17–21
Description Very elongate pond damsel of wooded wetlands with cream-colored abdomen tip. Male: Eyes green, black above; postocular spots green. Thorax green, black-striped; abdomen with black stripe above, sides of S1–6 pale gray to greenish, with conspicuous black rings at ends of segments; and S7–10 cream-colored, slightly expanded. Female: Colored rather like male, with eyes greenish above, yellow below; thorax more obscurely patterned. Abdomen black above, sides green at base, blue on S3–10; S9 with paired black basal triangles, S10 with no black; vivid black rings at ends of S3–7. Ovipositor prominent, with valves extending beyond tip of cerci. Immatures of both sexes overall pale orange-brown with faintly indicated pattern, dominated by black apical rings on S3–6 or 7; abdomen tip pale brown.
74
Cream-tipped Swampdamsel male—Hidalgo Co., TX, November 2006, Robert A. Behrstock; immature female—Hidalgo Co., TX, June 2005, John C. Abbott
Identification Nothing else in its range has glowing cream-tipped abdomen. That color at end of the abdomen more extensive than in other damselflies with contrasty tips of any color, thus recognizable even in deep shade. No other female damselfly in its range has such conspicuous black rings around all middle segments. Otherwise somewhat similar to various BLUETS, but thoracic pattern more obscure. Might be mistaken for POND SPREAD-WING because of size but more delicate, stigmas and legs shorter, and wings always closed.
Natural History Males perch from near ground to head height in shrubs, vine tangles, and tall grass, over or near water, and appear to be present at water during midday hours. Both sexes bob abdomen up and down after landing. Seem less likely to be seen when conditions are hot and dry, even in their shaded habitat. Females much less often seen but may dominate locally toward end of season. May spend dry season (winter) as adults, as related species does to south, or may lay eggs that overwinter. Oviposition has not been observed.
Habitat Shaded pools in slow-flowing streams or forested ponds, all with herbaceous vegetation, especially tall grasses. Not obviously present when these areas dry up.
Flight Season TX Jun–Nov.
Distribution So far known from populations at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, McAllen Nature Center, and Santa Gertrudis Creek on King Ranch. Otherwise known only from southern Mexico (Jalisco and Oaxaca).
These are very small damselflies of North and South America, with one species also widely distributed in Eurasia. Top of head, front of thorax, and abdomen are metallic green in four temperate species, black in two tropical ones; tropical species have postocular spots and pale antehumeral stripes, temperate species lack them when mature. All have blue on the sides of thorax and tip of the abdomen. Typically they inhabit dense sedge and grass and are less conspicuous than most damselflies but may be very common. Long tibial spines and wings held above abdomen when perched may indicate they are flycatchers. Wing position is also an identification clue, shared only with dancers in North America. Pairs oviposit with the male held up like a little blue-tipped stick. World 6, NA 5, West 3.
Description Tiny dark damselfly extremely restricted in range if still extant in West. Bright blue colors visible at close range. Male: Eyes blue, blackish above and paling to whitish below. Narrow pale postocular spots joined by bar. Very narrow pale blue antehumeral stripe at outer edge of front of thorax, with black humeral stripe varying in thickness. Sides of thorax blue, brownish in younger individuals. Abdomen black, sides of S1–2, S8–9, and all of S10 blue; also narrow blue basal rings on S3–9, scarcely visible from above. Female: Colored as male but duller. Immature patterned as mature but all pale areas tan rather than blue; sides of thorax with brown stripe.
Identification Nothing in its range in West is much like it. Southern Sprite, similarly small and slender, is metallic green above with a bit more blue visible on abdomen tip. Mature Fragile Forktails show no trace of blue and have divided antehumeral stripes closer to middle of thorax. Immatures can have bluish thorax but still show green eyes and typical striping. No females of similarly small dark damselflies have S10 blue.
Natural History Adults apparently spend much time away from water and are often seen in immature coloration, perhaps a lengthy maturation period waiting for rains. Flies throughout year in Florida.
Habitat Grass and sedge marshes, may retire to woodland when not breeding.
Flight Season TX Oct.
Distribution Specimens collected on upper Texas coast in 1918, not found in our region since and may not be here now. Otherwise restricted to Florida.
75
Everglades Sprite male, female—Dade Co., FL, April 2005
76 Southern Sprite Nehalennia integricollis TL 20–25, HW 11–14
Description Tiny metallic green and blue southeastern damselfly. Male: Eyes blue with dark brown to black cap; head metallic green. Thorax metallic green in front, blue on sides. Abdomen metallic green above, blue on sides of S1–2, sides of S8, and all of S9–10 except for paired black streaks on top of S9. Female: Eyes blue with brown cap, usually bit duller than male. Color as in male, but blue at abdomen confined to S10 and spot at tip of S9, sometimes sides of S9 as well. Immature duller, with narrow postocular spots joined by fine line and very fine pale antehumeral stripe.
Identification Nothing else like this species in its range in West, not even any very small damselfly with thorax all dark in front and limited blue abdomen tip. Sedge Sprite very similar but has more blue on abdomen tip, including tip of S8; known range separated by whole tier of states. Immature might be confused with BLUET or FORKTAIL, but pattern of pale color on abdomen tip as well as very small size should be distinctive.
Natural History Can be very common in dense vegetation, so close search is always advised when looking for sprites. Often detected only by sweeping net through grass beds. Pairs remain in tandem for oviposition in floating vegetation and grass and sedge stems at water level. While laying eggs, female holds abdomen between wings like female threadtail.
Habitat Ponds and lakes with dense vegetation, usually sedges or grasses, at shore or throughout.
Flight Season TX Apr–Jul.
Distribution Widespread in the Southeast from Arkansas to Rhode Island.
76
Southern Sprite male, female—San Jacinto Co., TX, May 2005
77 Sedge Sprite Nehalennia irene TL 24–29, HW 13–17
Description Tiny metallic green and blue northern damselfly. Male: Eyes blue with black cap; head metallic green. Thorax metallic green in front, blue on sides. Abdomen metallic green above, tip of S8–10 blue with pair of black spots on top of S9; also sides of S1–2, S7–8 blue. Female: Polymorphic in overall range, but western populations all seem to be andromorphs, colored exactly as male but less blue on S8, just small spot at tip. Situation at east end of region not known, but farther east most females heteromorphs, with blue only at tip of S10.
Identification Nothing else like this species in its range in West. Other small damselflies with blue abdomen tips are FORKTAILS, all of which are black rather than metallic green on thorax and have green rather than blue eyes, obvious postocular spots, and either striped or dotted thorax. Black-fronted Fork-tail most similar, with unmarked thoracic dorsum and blue abdomen tip, approaches range of Sedge Sprite in California and Oregon mountains. Equally similar San Francisco Fork-tail only on California coast.
77
Sedge Sprite male, female—Chelan Co., WA, June 2004
Natural History Abundant at many localities. Mostly associated with dense beds of sedge and often much more common than first apparent, as many individuals deep in vegetation, both short and tall. Sometimes seen in more open vegetation, however, and can be common on open sphagnum mats. Pairs oviposit in upright or floating stems, mosses, and detritus just below water surface.
Habitat Wide variety of habitats, from sedgy lake and pond shores to sedge meadows, bogs, and fens.
Flight Season YT Jun–Jul, BC May–Aug, AB Jun–Aug, WA Jun–Sep, OR Jun–Aug, CA Jun–Aug, MT May–Aug, NE Jun–Aug.
Distribution Also across southern Canada to Newfoundland and south to Iowa and South Carolina.
Sprites - female prothorax
The flight style of dancers gives them their name, a bouncy or jerky movement through the air quite different from the smooth forward motion of bluets, forktails, and other pond damsels and more like JEWELWING flight. They are much more likely to land flat on rocks, logs, or soil than other types of pond damsels, and they stay in the open, not moving slowly through vegetation as do many other pond damsels. Males show varying proportions of blue and black, not so different from bluets in coloration but quite different in behavior. A few lack blue, and a few add red eyes and copper thorax to the basic dancer color pattern. They usually perch with wings raised above the abdomen (all other North American pond damsels except sprites hold them alongside the abdomen) and sally forth after flying insects (others glean from vegetation). The wings have a slightly shorter petiole (they become broader closer to the base), probably an adaptation for quick flight to catch flying insects, and the long tibial spines that characterize the genus are surely effective in that activity. Many, perhaps all, species open and then close their wings in what has been called “wing-clapping.”
Blue dancers are usually distinguished from bluets by humeral stripe either notched at end, clearly forked into two branches, or distinctly narrowed in the middle and expanded to a spot at the upper end (bluets are never forked, are same width throughout or smoothly narrowed to upper end). Seepage Dancer, an exception, looks much like bluet but holds wings above the abdomen. Dancers with blue-tipped abdomen have blue S10, whereas bluets with blue tips have S10 black on top (except long, slender Attenuated Bluet and very local Baja Bluet). Also, black markings are usually on sides of S2 in dancers but on top in bluets. In female dancers, dark markings on abdomen are paired dorsolateral spots or stripes; in other pond damsels, dark markings are central, either covering entire top of the segment or, in bluets, torpedo-shaped. Finally, female dancers lack vulvar spine present on American bluets.
Although most species perch on rocks or ground in open areas, some prefer vegetation. At water, they typically perch along overhanging stem or leaf facing stream rather than hanging at tip facing shore, as do bluets; this is an excellent clue. Copulating pairs are infrequently seen (copulation must be brief), but tandem pairs are commonly seen moving about habitat and ovipositing. Typically females insert eggs in plant tissues at and just below water surface, the males either grasping plant stem or, more commonly, held vertically in air (not all pond damsels do this). Pairs aggregate at good oviposition sites, perhaps attracted because a pair already present indicates no nearby predators. Exposed rootlets of streamside trees in swift currents are preferred by many species for egg laying. Some, especially females, will have to be captured for identification. This largest genus of Odonata in the New World is well represented in North America, although most species are southwestern. A half-dozen species can easily be found at some streams in Arizona. Diversity increases southward (over 50 species exist in Mexico), and additional Mexican species might be found north of the border.
Most dancers have similar head patterns, with front of head mostly pale, then transverse black occipital bar between eyes surrounding ocelli, with one or two pairs of forward projections from bar. Behind that are two moderate to large postocular spots almost connected by a rather thick pale bar. When the black head bar is narrow, entire head looks pale; when broader, the head looks dark above, and postocular spots are prominent as in other damselflies. Descriptions of spots are included for species that differ from this general pattern. Important field marks in both sexes include width of black median and humeral stripes on thorax and whether humeral is forked or not. The abdomen usually has S8–10 blue, middle segments blue at front and black at rear, either blue or black taking up most but not all of segment. On the abdomen, look for presence or absence of spots on sides of middle abdominal segments in males; presence or absence of black low on sides of terminal segments of males; basal spots or continuous stripes on middle abdominal segments in females; and unmarked, spotted, or striped S8–10 in females. Extent of black markings is at least somewhat variable on all species—but fortunately not infinitely variable! One venation character is important in this group: the number of cells between the quadrangle and the vein that runs back from the nodus. Generally the larger species have more of these cells, but this character may be used to distinguish some similar species. World 111, NA 32, West 32.
78 Seepage Dancer Argia bipunctulata TL 23–30, HW 13–18
Description Small bluet-like dancer of vegetation beds. Head dark above, no postocular spots, but pale connecting bar present. Male: Eyes blue. Entirely blue except for these black markings: wide median and humeral stripes on thorax; black blotch at end of S2; rings at end of S3–5; mostly black S6, blue on dorsal base; and all of S7. Female: Eyes tan with dark brown cap. Thorax patterned as male but light areas light tan. Abdomen mostly pale brown on S1–3, S4–5 mostly black above and at end and pale on sides, S6–7 and S9–10 black, S8 entirely pale tan above. Apparently no blue females.
Identification Most similar dancer Aztec Dancer, with which it overlaps in eastern Oklahoma and Texas. Seepage has much wider black humeral stripe and top of head mostly black, Aztec narrow humeral stripe and top of head mostly blue. Typically Seepage has more black on S6 than Aztec, which has only apical ring. Easily mistaken for BLUET but distinguished by wings held above abdomen and very wide humeral stripe, much wider than blue antehumeral, so thorax looks mostly black in front. Small BLUETS such as Atlantic Bluet also have black on top of S10, lacking in blue dancers. No other female dancer has mostly dark abdomen, black at tip but with pale S8. Rather similar female Skimming Bluet has black markings on blue S8.
78
Seepage Dancer male—Calhoun Co., FL, April 2005; female—Clay Co., FL, April 2005
Natural History Populations are scattered because of special habitat needs and not very dense where they occur. Males perch in low and often dense vegetation, sometimes at edge of open water, and seem rather sedentary. Females seldom seen except in pairs.
Habitat Boggy areas with abundant sedges and weedy flowing ditches.
Flight Season TX May–Jun.
Distribution Widespread in Southeast, north to Missouri, Ohio, and New Jersey.
79 Blue-fronted Dancer Argia apicalis TL 33–40, HW 20–25
Description Widespread eastern dancer with distinctive unpatterned thorax. Front and top of head blue, black at rear with small separated postocular spots. Male: Eyes blue in front, brown behind, look all blue in face view. Thorax blue in front, pale whitish-tan on sides, with conspicuous black polygon above each middle leg. Abdomen mostly black above, pale tan on sides; S8–10 blue, with black low on sides, rarely extending up onto top of S8. Males often have gray-violet thorax, much duller than usual, this color more likely at low temperatures or in tandem. Female: Polymorphic. Eyes brown, darker above; lack of blue in eyes in andromorph good distinction from male. Black blotch at base of middle leg smaller or even lacking. Andromorph with all-blue thorax as in male, blue extending back along sides of basal abdominal segments; heteromorph entirely brown. Abdomen black above, dorsolateral markings often split by fine pale line but continuous from S2 to S9. Ovipositing blue females also become duller, blue-gray. Some females green and there is known to be color change with age in individual females.
Identification No other species colored just like male, with almost entirely blue thorax and blue abdomen tip. Unique even with gray thorax. Females much like female Powdered Dancer, with unmarked thorax, and can be difficult. Blue-fronted has more vividly striped abdomen tip, with conspicuous ventrolateral stripe on S9 that is mostly lacking in Powdered; thus, Powdered shows large pale area on side of abdomen tip. Blue-fronted also more likely to have partially developed black humeral stripe.
79.1
Blue-fronted Dancer male—Jackson Co., FL, June 2004; dull male—Caldwell Co., TX, July 2004
79.2
Blue-fronted Dancer brown female, blue female—Johnson Co., IA, July 2004
Natural History Commonly perches on ground but also low in vegetation. At one pond, males arrived early and became spaced at 6-foot intervals, typically at water for about 3 hr but not retaining territories from day to day. Often aggressive toward other males, rarely to pairs. Females arrive about 2 hr after males, maximum mating just past midday. Copulation lasts 10–27 min, tandem exploration 10–50 min, and tandem oviposition 53–115 min. About half of females continue ovipositing alone for 20 min after release by males. Horizontal floating substrates typically used for egg laying, with pairs concentrating in small areas. Both sexes reproductively active for about 1 week, averaging about one and one-half matings; maximum age about 1 month after maturity.
Habitat Very wide habitat choice includes rivers and streams, less often lakes and ponds. More typical of larger, muddier rivers than smaller streams.
Flight Season NM Mar–Oct, NE May–Oct, TX Mar–Dec.
Distribution Ranges south in lowlands of Mexico to Nuevo León, also east to Ontario and New Hampshire and south to northern Florida.
