These dragonflies are often considered the most primitive living odonates. They are characterized by large size, very long stigmas, somewhat clubtail-like small eyes (but brown, not green or blue), camouflage colors, and semiterrestrial larvae that live in mud or burrows and forage at night on terrestrial insects and spiders. Broad, petal-like cerci of males of the Australian species have given the family its scientific and common names. Females have ovipositors like those of darners but unlike other North American dragonflies. Different authors have placed them at the base of dragonfly evolution or in a slightly more advanced group together with clubtails. Formerly among the dominant odonates and with much greater distribution, there remain relict species in cool, moist climates of Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Japan, and northwestern and eastern North America. World 11, NA 2, West 2.
This southeastern petaltail barely enters our region. Sufficiently distinct in both adult and larval anatomy to warrant a genus of its own, but it is a typical petaltail in behavior. World 1, NA 1, West 1.
114 Gray Petaltail Tachopteryx thoreyi TL 71–80, HW 48–53
Description Large brownish-gray and black dragonfly with separated eyes. Male: Eyes brown with gray highlights, becoming grayer with maturity; face gray-brown. Thorax slightly purplish gray with wide black humeral stripe and single black side stripe. Abdomen same color gray, strongly banded with black at rear of S3–7, rest black. Female: Similarly colored, readily distinguished by ovipositor and slightly thicker abdomen.
Identification Nothing else like it. Other large dragonflies in range more brightly marked with yellow, usually with eyes blue or green and mostly with eyes larger and touching. Perching behavior alone is good field mark, although some DARNERS also land on tree trunks. All are colored differently, most much smaller.
114.1
Gray Petaltail male—Liberty Co., TX, April 2005
114.2
Gray Petaltail female—San Jacinto Co., TX, May 1998, Robert A. Behrstock
Natural History Flight fast and direct. Rests on flat surfaces at any angle—rocks, fallen logs, tree trunks, stone walls—flat against substrate, where sometimes very well camouflaged. Commonly perches vertically on tree trunks from waist height up to 15 feet, also on large stones and rock walls closer to ground. Very likely to land on light-colored net or clothing, a dragonfly you can actually attract by standing in or walking slowly through its habitat! Also quite easily approached, surprisingly tame for large dragonfly. Feeds by sallying out from perch after flying insects, including quite large ones such as butterflies and other dragonflies. Also lazy figure-eight foraging flights to catch small insects in clearings. Sexual maturation in 2–3 weeks, adult life span to 7 weeks. Males not territorial but spend much time at limited breeding sites, also encountered in forest clearings and edge, sometimes at some distance from seeps. Typically search for females on tree trunks. Females oviposit into wet soil or tiny puddles. Larvae in wet mud, usually under leaves.
Habitat Shallow, mucky seeps in forested areas, flat or on hillside and associated with either streams or ponds; also sedge-covered open fens in Ozarks. Ranges from breeding habitat into open woodland, pine flatwoods.
Flight Season TX Apr–Jun.
Distribution Widespread in East from Missouri, Michigan, and New Hampshire south to northern Florida.
These are the smallest and most brightly marked petaltails. Two species of this genus show biogeographic affinity between Japan and the Pacific Northwest. World 2, NA 1, West 1.
115 Black Petaltail Tanypteryx hageni TL 54–57, HW 34–37
Description Moderately large black and yellow dragonfly with separated eyes; black with yellow spots on front and sides of thorax, yellow half-rings on abdomen. Male: Eyes dark brown; face cream. Thorax dark brown to black with yellow spots scattered over it. Abdomen black with bright yellow paired and partially joined basal spots on S2–8, becoming smaller to rear. Female: Colored similarly but yellow spots on front of thorax may be joined to form pair of stripes, and spots on abdomen more and larger, forming complex pattern. Also distinguished by ovipositor and slightly thicker abdomen.
Identification Nothing else very similar. Pacific Spiketail considerably larger with blue eyes, stripes on sides of thorax; flies up and down streams and hangs up to perch. Female DARNERS with big eyes, stripes on thorax; most are larger.
Natural History Flight rather leisurely for dragonfly except when male chases another. Rests against flat surfaces—rocks, fallen logs, tree trunks, stone walls, tops of dried pitcher-plant leaves—at any angle but typically with abdomen inclined downward 20° from horizontal and pressed to substrate. Very likely to land on light-colored net or clothing, and easily approached. Males spend much time at limited breeding sites at midday, defending rather small territories against other male petaltails and chasing most other dragonflies. Frequent moving, time on one territory usually no more than a half-hour. Females rarely seen except when they come to mate and oviposit, more likely later in day after male numbers decline. Copulation at rest, from ground to well up in tree. Females oviposit directly into substrate, including moss, rotting vegetation, and mud, walking slowly and probing for 5–30 min at one site. Larvae in shallow burrows in wet areas, come out to forage for terrestrial prey at night. Burrow openings hard to see. Reproductive adult life span at least 5 weeks.
115.1
Black Petaltail male—Josephine Co., OR, July 2005, Jay Withgott
115.2
Black Petaltail female—Butte Co., CA, June 2003, Chris Heaivilin
Habitat Seeps at stream edges and shallow boggy areas, usually in hills or mountains but down to sea level in British Columbia, mostly in open or at forest edge. Low sedges typical, also pitcher plants in southern Oregon and northern California.
Flight Season BC Jun–Aug, WA Jun–Sep, OR May–Sep, CA May–Aug.
The darners are large dragonflies with large eyes and long abdomens that fly continuously or hover intermittently, then hang vertically when they perch. The abdomen, especially of the male, is swollen at base and often constricted at S3. Male cerci in most are long and fairly simple and make abdomen seem longer. Female cerci also usually are long and often distinctive, but in many species broken off during oviposition, so the female abdomen looks thicker and shorter than that of the male. The female has a well-developed ovipositor, unlike most dragonflies. The thorax in most shows two side stripes; abdomen in most has complex pattern of pale spots. They are the only fliers that have blue or green coloration on their bodies. Other flier dragonflies are spiketails, river cruisers, and emeralds. Spiketails have much smaller eyes, not quite or barely touching in middle, and black bodies with two yellow stripes on either side of thorax (many darners share this, but their base color is brown rather than black). Most spiketail species have yellow rings or central spots on abdomen, darners paired spots (some are ringed). River cruisers have large eyes but only a single stripe on each side of the thorax and large central spots or rings on the abdomen. Most emeralds have brilliant green eyes and brown or black bodies. Female darners have well-developed ovipositors, whereas spiketails have pointed, projecting subgenital plate, and river cruisers and emeralds lack any special modifications for egg laying. Wing venation also distinguishes families. Wings tend to become suffused with yellowish to brown in older darners. World 426, NA 41, West 35.
These are the smallest and most primitive North American darners, with more open wing venation than other small species. The thorax is heavily patterned with pale markings. They are the only darners with forked epiproct. Not common, they are found in swamps and bogs in eastern North America, flying early in season. They often perch on tree trunks, where they are well camouflaged. World 2, NA 2, West 1.
116 Harlequin Darner Gomphaeschna furcillata TL 53–60, HW 29–36
Description Small, complexly patterned woodland darner. Male: Eyes green, face white with black across top of frons. Thorax brown with numerous greenish or pale bluish stripes and small pale orange markings that make the sides mostly pale with a jagged brown pattern. Abdomen black, with pale green (sometimes pale orange) apical dorsolateral forward-pointing triangles on S3–9, also tiny paired triangles at midsegment S3–7, and some individuals have basal orange markings on S3–6. Also large irregular ventrolateral markings, blue on S3 and orange on S4–8, produce complexly patterned abdomen as well. Cerci narrow, arched outward, and then approaching again at tips. Female: Colored more or less as male but eyes gray-brown with greenish tinge, stripes on thorax and triangles on abdomen more whitish than green. Cerci very short. Forewings may have wash of brown beyond nodus.
Identification: Distinguished by very small size, dull coloration. T-spot on frons with extensive black at base, almost no crossbar; no other darner similar. No other darner of any size has such an irregular thoracic pattern or combination of pale green and golden spots on abdomen. Springtime Darner, another small spring-flying darner, has blue-spotted abdomen and regular thoracic stripes and normal T-spot. Breeding habitat different, but both may be seen cruising over clearings in feeding flight. All other darners in range distinctly larger with different color patterns.
Natural History Both sexes perch on tree trunks and commonly land on clothing of one stalking them! Males fly back and forth over breeding habitat or hover quite low, often changing direction, then move and hover again. Females oviposit in rotten wood at water level or a bit above. Cruises over clearings in rapid flight from low to well up in trees when foraging.
116.1
Harlequin Darner male—Baldwin Co., GA, April 2005, Giff Beaton
116.2
Harlequin Darner female—Passaic Co., NJ, June 2005, Sheryl Chacon
Habitat Shallow pools and ditches in swampy areas or sphagnum bog ponds.
Flight Season TX Apr.
Distribution Ranges throughout East, north to southern Ontario and Nova Scotia.
This small genus of brown darners occurs in temperate North America and Eurasia. North American species brown with pair of pale spots on either side of thorax; Eurasian species with striped thorax more like other darners. All have in common crossveins in basal space in wings, perhaps relating them to some tropical genera with the same character. Large eyes and broad wings allow slow flight in dark habitats, like tropical forest darners. Most fly low over woodland streams. World 6, NA 2, West 1.
117 Fawn Darner Boyeria vinosa TL 60–71, HW 39–46
Description Rather plain brown stream darner with bold pale spots on thorax. Male: Eyes dark brown with blue to greenish wash above, paler brown below. Thorax brown with two small but bold pale yellow to white spots on either side, made more conspicuous by darker areas around them. Some individuals with hint of greenish frontal stripes. Abdomen brown with tiny and rather faint yellowish markings scattered along it. Wings dark brown at extreme bases. Female: As male but eyes without blue, abdomen conspicuously thicker.
Identification Nothing else in West looks like Fawn Darner. Shadow and Springtime Darners, likely to be seen in same areas, have vivid pale thoracic stripes and larger spots on abdomen. Swamp Darner larger, with green-striped thorax. From above, dark brown basal wing spots quite conspicuous against lighter brown body, often sufficient for identification. Not known to overlap with Twilight or Bar-sided Darners in West, easily distinguished from those brownish species if bright pale thoracic spots or brown wing spots visible.
117.1
Fawn Darner male—Murray Co., GA, September 2005, Giff Beaton
117.2
Fawn Darner female—Worcester Co., MA, September 2005, Tom Murray
Natural History Both sexes cruise around clearings to feed and hang vertically from almost any sort of shaded perch low in woodland, on cliffs, or under bridges. Males patrol streams low over water and usually near shore, typically in late or very late afternoon but also at other times of day, including dawn. May fly when too dark to see them clearly, intermingled with bats. Presumably looking for females, males often spend much time moving slowly along the bank, poking in and out of root tangles and downed branches, circling projecting sticks, and seldom hovering as other darners do. Also forage while doing this, sometimes capturing damselflies they flush. Flight very low and somewhat fluttery, almost butterflylike, distinguishing it from other stream-patrolling darners. Mating occurs at any time, even at dusk; copulation at rest in shrubs or trees. Females oviposit in wet wood at and just below water level, well known for landing on legs of people wading in streams and attempting same (ouch!), surely source of myth that dragonflies sting.
Habitat Wooded streams with some current, from very small to moderate-sized rivers. Sometimes along lake shores.
Flight Season NE Jul–Oct, TX Apr–Jun.
Distribution Ranges throughout East from southern Ontario and Nova Scotia south.
A very large darner in a monotypic genus, it is superficially like the pilot darner but with different wing venation and prominent spine in male projecting upward from end of S10. It is related to Cyrano Darner and, as in that genus, there is no hint of constriction (“waist”) near base of abdomen. World 1, NA 1, West 1.
118 Swamp Darner Epiaeschna heros TL 82–91, HW 52–59
Description Large dark darner with brown, green-striped thorax and green-ringed abdomen. Male: Eyes blue, face brown. Thorax brown with green stripes. Abdomen dark brown to black with pale green rings, two to three per segment. Female: Colored as male but eyes with more brown, less blue, at maturity. Also distinguished by thicker abdomen and lack of epiproct; cerci about size of male’s.
Identification Most similar is Regal Darner, less robust but just as long. Regal differs in having overall paler look, thorax and abdomen base with more green than brown on both sides and front and more brightly marked abdomen, with green line down center as well as green rings (only ringed with green in Swamp). Male Regals also have green eyes (blue in Swamp and mature female Regal) and green face (brown in Swamp). Stem of T-spot on frons in Swamp very broad, as broad as pale green spots on either side (narrower in Regal, bordered by green extending down side of face). Flight style different (see Regal). Small Swamp Darner might be mistaken for superficially similar Cyrano Darner, as they fly in similar ways over swampy pools. Both have blue eyes and green-striped brown thorax, but Cyrano has much more extensive green all over slightly thicker abdomen, as well as projecting frons.
Natural History Adults fly back and forth through swamps or forest, sometimes in large numbers, also forage over open areas in woodland habitats. Flight from near ground to well up in trees. Males flying at chest height over ponds and stream pools may be searching for females. Sexes often meet away from water for mating, then female oviposits in woodland pools or extensive swamps, usually in wet dead wood just above water level but also in mud or up on standing trunks.
Habitat Swamps and slow streams for breeding, more confined to woodland than Regal Darner.
Flight Season TX Mar–Oct.
Distribution Ranges throughout East north to Wisconsin, southern Ontario and Quebec, and Maine.
118.1
Swamp Darner male—Grant Par., LA, May 2005 (posed)
118.2
Swamp Darner female—East Baton Rouge Par., LA, May 2004, Gayle and Jeanell Strickland
This is another relatively primitive monotypic genus confined to eastern North America, probably most closely related to Swamp Darner. It is characterized by a rather stocky body, with no waist, and projecting frons. World 1, NA 1, West 1.
Description Stocky, mostly greenish darner of eastern swamps. Male: Eyes blue, face green to blue-green above, chartreuse to dull yellow on front. Thorax brown with green stripes: short and L-shaped on front, first side stripe jagged and interrupted, second straight and complete. Abdomen with complex striped pattern, mostly green in middle above brown dorsolateral and green ventrolateral zones; tapers toward tip. Female: Colored as male, abdomen thicker with very short cerci.
Identification Looks thick-bodied in comparison with other darners, with no hint of waist. In hand, large, angled frons distinctive, also visible at close range in flight. Jagged thoracic stripes and abdomen with as much green as brown distinguish it from Regal and Swamp Darners that fly in similar places.
Natural History Males fly regular, often fairly short, beats at waist to head height over open water. Abdomen usually held slightly curved in flight, wings above horizontal and fluttered continuously. Both sexes fly low and slow and pluck prey from herbaceous vegetation, unusual feeding method for flier dragonfly. Prey often large and regularly other odonates up to moderate-sized clubtails, immediately taken to perch in vegetation and eaten. Taking large prey more typical of this species than most other darners, perhaps associated with use of gleaning as foraging method. Also cruise back and forth over clearings in forest at about head height. Females oviposit in sodden logs or stumps at water’s edge or just above it, remaining for lengthy periods in one spot.
Habitat Wooded wetlands of all kinds; swamps, lake edges, and slow streams. Border of at least shrubs if not trees seems necessary. Floating and emergent vegetation present or not. Widespread but usually not common.
Flight Season NE Jun–Aug, TX Mar–Sep.
Distribution Ranges throughout East north to Minnesota, southern Ontario, and New Brunswick.
119.1
Cyrano Darner male—Jasper Co., TX, May 2005 (posed)
119.2
Cyrano Darner female—Morris Co., NJ, June 2005, Allen Barlow (posed)
Superficially this is like the larger mosaic darners but a member of a more ancestral group, with more primitive wing venation. Eyes are smaller than those of mosaic darners, the line where they meet no more than twice the length of occiput (three times or more in mosaic and neotropical darners). It also inhabits woodland streams and flies in spring, unlike most mosaic darners. World 1, NA 1, West 1.
120 Springtime Darner Basiaeschna janata TL 53–64, HW 32–40
Description Medium-sized stream darner patterned much like mosaic darners but smaller than any of those that occur with it and with small brown spot at base of each wing. Male: Eyes brown with blue tinge, face dull yellow-brown. Lateral thoracic stripes bright yellow to whitish, bit of blue at upper ends; frontal stripes narrow and dull greenish, scarcely visible. Appendages simple, quite narrow in top view. Female: Eyes brown, face brownish. Polymorphic, abdominal spots green or blue. Cerci very narrow, slightly shorter than S9–10.
Identification Color contrast between yellow-white thoracic stripes and blue abdominal spots more striking than in most other darners; dull eye color also distinctive. Only other small darner in its western range that flies up and down woodland streams is Turquoise-tipped Darner of different genus that overlaps with Springtime in central Texas. Turquoise-tipped has irregular thoracic side stripes, no trace of brown at wing base, and blue under abdomen tip. Abdomen of Turquoise-tipped ringed with green beyond its blue base, whereas Springtime has blue spots for entire length. Flight season of Springtime separates it in time from most MOSAIC DARNERS and probably from Turquoise-tipped. In Canadian part of Springtime’s range, might be found in same area as Zigzag Darner, but latter inhabits different habitats and has different flight season, and Zigzag, true to its name, has zigzag thoracic stripes. Also marked only with blue, whereas Springtime has yellow to whitish thoracic stripes.
120.1
Springtime Darner male—Bibb Co., AL, April 2005, Giff Beaton
120.2
Springtime Darner female—New Haven Co., CT, May 2004, Tom Murray
Natural History Males fly long beats rapidly up and down streams, at knee height or lower and usually near shore when on larger rivers. Often capture damselflies while cruising. Active at water from dawn until dark, one of common dusk-flying species. Both sexes hang up in trees, sometimes in weeds, and often seen in low feeding flights in clearings at forest edge, within few hundred yards of breeding sites. Females oviposit in upright herbaceous plants and floating leaves (for example, bur-reed and spatterdock) out in current, often with abdomen submerged.
Habitat Woodland streams and rivers with some current; also at beaver ponds along stream course, and, sometimes, rock-bordered lakes.
Flight Season TX Feb–May.
Distribution Also throughout East, north to Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia and south to northwestern Florida.
This represents another small genus superficially like mosaic and neotropical darners but with the pointed projection on top of S10 in male distinctive. Otherwise, minor differences involve wing venation and larval morphology. It is thought to be more closely related to two-spined and three-spined darners. Presumably evolved on Mexican Plateau, where it is common. A second species is larger and poorly known. World 2, NA 1, West 1.
121 Riffle Darner Oplonaeschna armata TL 66–75, HW 45–55
Description Medium-sized blue-marked darner of southwestern mountain streams. Male: Eyes blue, face yellow. Thorax brown with typical pair of darner stripes, blue above and yellow to greenish below; frontal stripe constricted in middle, often separated. Abdomen brown to black with much blue on S2–3, smaller markings and light blue or greenish on S4–9. Most prominent abdominal markings backward-pointing green triangles above, irregular blue spots on sides. Female: Polymorphic, color pattern much like male in andromorph or duller, with eyes brown, pale markings on abdomen light green to yellow in heteromorph. Cerci relatively short (slightly longer than S9, sharply pointed; break off in maturity.
121.1
Riffle Darner male—Catron Co., NM, July 2007 (posed)
121.2
Riffle Darner female—Cochise Co., AZ, August 2001, Doug Danforth
Identification Males easily distinguished from NEOTROPICAL DARNERS in its range (Arroyo and Blue-eyed) by lack of pale areas on either side of black T-spot, yellow face contrasting with dark blue eyes, and prominence of dorsal triangles rather than dorsolateral spots on abdomen. Broken frontal stripe on thorax also good mark when visible. In hand distinguished by projection on S10 and lack of tubercle under S1. Females differ by same color characters. Slightly smaller Turquoise-tipped Darner not usually in habitat with Riffle but could be distinguished by even finer abdominal markings and S10 mostly blue.
Natural History Both sexes feed over clearings and among trees in open woodland. Males fly up and down stream just above water, mostly on riffles but also check ponds for females, moving slowly along fallen logs and bank. One copulating pair observed flew high into treetops. Females oviposit in moist wood and dead leaves in shallow water.
Habitat Small rocky streams with pools and riffles in mountain woodland.
Flight Season AZ May–Nov, NM May–Sep.
Distribution Ranges south in uplands to El Salvador.
The largest genus in this family is well represented in both New and Old World tropics. Most are shades of brown, but many have bright green or blue markings on the thorax and abdomen base. Some have basal wing markings, and wings of mature adults can be quite brown. Females have a prominent two-spined structure projecting downward from S10, probably involved with steadying the abdomen for egg laying. All but a few species are dusk fliers, and their biology is poorly known. Large eyes and broad wings fit them for their daytime flight in forests and dusk flight in clearings. Two North American species are rather similar, but the group includes very small to very large species. World 84, NA 2, West 2.
122 Twilight Darner Gynacantha nervosa TL 75–80, HW 47–56
Description Plain brown dusk-flying forest darner. Male: Eyes greenish when fully mature, brown otherwise. Entirely light brown from face to abdomen tip. Small black spots on thorax and faint indications of patterning on abdomen. Mature individuals at brightest with front of thorax greenish, light green sclerites between wings, and fine light green abdominal rings and lines. Abdomen very slightly constricted at S3. Female: Colored exactly as male, with thicker abdomen. With age, wings become increasingly suffused with brown.
Identification Bar-sided Darner, not known to overlap in range in United States, has dark bar on sides of thorax and blue markings on thorax and abdomen base when mature (green when immature, however; from above, note different abdomen shape). Not similar to any other regional species except Fawn Darner, which has vivid yellow spots on sides of thorax and never any green markings. Differs from Pale-green Darner of similar habits in larger size, mostly brown thorax. Note Mocha Emerald, an all-brown emerald that is smaller and darker and with very different terminal appendages.
Natural History Both sexes patrol for small insects in dusk feeding flights, sometimes in large numbers and usually at woodland edge. May establish “beats” along edges a few feet wide and 40–50 feet long. Rarely fly above head height. Commonly enters buildings after dusk flight and may be found next morning. Daytime roosts within forest, also usually below head height, and difficult to see because abdomen usually backed by vertical stem and wings invisible in shade. Mating in forest away from water, apparently at any time of day. Female searches out shallow pools in or at edge of woodland and oviposits in rotten wood or mud. May lay eggs in depressions before they fill with rain, and late-emerging adults may live for months to breed in next rainy season.
122.1
Twilight Darner male—Alachua Co., FL, October 2005, Giff Beaton; male thorax—Collier Co., FL, December 2007
122.2
Twilight Darner female—Highlands Co., FL, August 2002, David McShaffrey
Habitat Wooded swamps and low-lying woodland, even in garden pools; no minimal size for larval habitat.
Flight Season Florida all year.
Distribution Presumably only vagrant to this region, one record in eastern Oklahoma may have been stray from Mexican population. Otherwise mostly in Florida within United States, few records in Alabama and Georgia. Ranges from northern Mexico south in lowlands to Brazil and throughout West Indies.
123 Bar-sided Darner Gynacantha mexicana TL 70–76, HW 46–50
Description Large rather plain brown darner with black spots on sides of thorax and dark bar bordering its lower edge. Some individuals with dark bar between second and third longitudinal veins in wings. Male: Eyes brown, tinged blue on front with maturity. Very slender abdomen, base expanded and obvious constriction (“wasp waist”) at S3. Thorax pale greenish, abdomen brown with fine green markings across segments. Blue sclerites between wings and on second abdominal segment. Green appears on immatures before blue. Female: Colored as male, although not known to develop blue markings (but still poorly known). Abdomen slightly thicker and less constricted near base.
Identification Unmistakable in its range. So far, Twilight Darner not found in range of Bar-sided in North America. Would be distinguished by lack of markings on sides of thorax and unconstricted abdomen in male. Fawn Darner also brown but has bright yellow spots on each side of thorax, no overlap in range with Bar-sided. Pale-green Darner much like Bar-sided in habits and habitat, considerably smaller with no dark markings on side of thorax, no blue color anywhere, and no wing markings. Also typically brighter green thorax.
Natural History Typically seen in dusk feeding flight or hanging from branches or against trunks in shady woodland. Known to gather in communal roosts, several individuals hanging together in small area. As do others of the genus, presumably overwinters in dense woodland, not necessarily associated with water, and female lays eggs on wet ground or in wet wood at beginning of rainy season. One known breeding site in Texas a permanent pond, however. Often enters buildings or attracted to lights at dusk, found hanging there next morning.
123
Bar-sided Darner male, male thorax, female abdomen tip—Hidalgo Co., TX November 2005
Habitat Woodland with low areas that fill with water during wet season. Usually found in dense to open woodland in south Texas.
Flight Season TX Jun–Feb.
Distribution Ranges south in lowlands to Brazil.
Closely related to two-spined darners, with very large eyes and broad wings, these display three prominent spines under S10 of females rather than two. Most species are smaller than two-spined darners, and all have green and brown thorax and mostly brown abdomen. Forest-based and crepuscular, they make up a prominent component of dusk flight of darners throughout the New World tropics. World 9, NA 2, West 1.
124 Pale-green Darner Triacanthagyna septima TL 59–66, HW 34–43
Identification Small, rather drab darner of south Texas. Male: Eyes blue-green, face olive. Thorax light green with faintly indicated brownish wash on front. Abdomen mostly brown, sides of S1–2 greenish, also light green dorsal stripe on S2 and fine transverse markings on middle segments becoming obscured toward rear. Female: Colored about as male; eyes greenish to brown, perhaps never with blue. Cerci long, narrow, and pointed, broken off in mature individuals. Close look at appendages necessary to determine sex, as females with appendages look much like males.
Similar Species Should not be confused with anything else where it occurs. Conspicuously smaller than Bar-sided Darner, with no blue markings on top or dark brown markings on sides of thorax and never dark stripes along front of wings. Both have pale legs. Closest to Blue-faced Darner in size and even in color pattern, but that species darker overall with dark legs and usually blue face. Mature Blue-faced much more brightly colored than Pale-green, also has fine green median line down length of abdomen not present in Pale-green.
124
Pale-green Darner female—Hidalgo Co., TX, October 2006, R. A. Behrstock; male—Madre de Dios, Peru, July 2002, Netta Smith
Behavior Both sexes hang up during day in woodland, usually dense, and forage at forest edge from ground level to well up in trees at dusk; may be second flight at dawn when warm enough. Breeding poorly known, but females probably oviposit in fallen logs and branches in depressions on dry forest floor that fill with water at beginning of rainy season.
Habitat Known from dense woodland adjacent to Rio Grande, where locally common. Breeds in forested swamps in tropics. Some potential breeding habitat in south Texas woodlands.
Flight Season TX Jun–Oct.
Distribution Ranges south to Bolivia and Brazil, also throughout West Indies and recorded from far southern Florida.
These are rather large neotropical darners, the mature males either with conspicuously green thorax and black abdomen or mostly red. Males have simple appendages, females often very long cerci that are easily broken off. Adults are usually associated with forest but may breed in open marshes. They forage well above ground (thus “pilot darners”), even among treetops, sometimes in virtual swarms and often with other species. World 8, NA 3, West 2.
125 Blue-faced Darner Coryphaeschna adnexa TL 66–69, HW 42–45
Description Small darner of south Texas with blue face, green thorax, slender brown abdomen. Male: Eyes green with bright blue margins, face and rear of head blue. Thorax green with fine brown suture lines. Abdomen with fine green line down center and two narrow green rings around each segment (one on S9, none on S10). Teneral with wide brown stripes on thorax, quickly obscured. Female: Colored as male but eyes and face green with blue tinge, abdomen often somewhat richer brown. Might also be distinguished by intact cerci considerably longer than those of male; cerci lost in older females.
125
Blue-faced Darner male, female—Kleberg Co., TX, May 2005
Identification No other darner in range in this book with entirely green thorax, slender brown abdomen except rare Pale-green Darner, which is paler, with pale legs and greenish face. Much larger Regal Darner has brown stripes on thorax; so far not known to overlap in range. Note that thorax in teneral Blue-faced striped just like Regal, distinguish by size and brown abdomen of Blue-faced. GREEN DARNERS all much bulkier, relatively shorter abdomens.
Natural History Males patrol back and forth low over floating vegetation. Females oviposit in floating vegetation, for example water lettuce, just above water. Both sexes in feeding flight, sometimes numerous individuals, from near ground to treetops. Flies within tiny woodland clearings as well as out in open, then hangs up under branch at about head height.
Habitat Ponds, usually covered with floating vegetation such as water lettuce, water hyacinth, or duckweeds. Usually associated with forest.
Flight Season TX Jun–Nov.
Distribution Ranges south in lowlands to Argentina, also southern Florida and Greater Antilles.
126 Regal Darner Coryphaeschna ingens TL 86–90, HW 54–59
Description Large darner with green- and brown-striped thorax, green-ringed black abdomen. Male: Eyes green, face green with brown crossline. Thorax green with wide brown stripes. Abdomen black with narrow green dorsal line and fine narrow green rings around it, two to three each on middle segments. Female: Colored as male but with blue eyes when mature, green when immature. This must be primary way sexes distinguished away from water. Very long, slender cerci in immature female shed with maturity. Wings in immature female orange at base, clear beyond, this reversed in maturity, when much of wings become brownish-orange.
Identification See Swamp Darner, closest in size and color to this species and overlapping with it extensively. Regal with more green, less brown on thorax. Flight styles somewhat different, Swamp zipping through air like fighter plane, Regal with more buoyant flight like glider. Birders should think of difference between merlin and kestrel. When wings suffused with orange, tends to be more toward tip and rear edge in Regal, more in center and front edge in Swamp. Intact female cerci longer in Regal than in Swamp.
Natural History Unusual among dragonflies in males not patrolling at wetlands, but pairs meet and mate away from water. Apparently both “immature” and mature females mate. Both sexes in feeding swarms from near ground to high in air at any time, including dawn, but especially late afternoon to dusk; in open or among trees, sometimes in large numbers. May be mixed with other large species such as Common Green Darners or Prince Basket-tails. Tends to feed on quite small prey. Females oviposit in vegetation at lake or pond shores, even in fairly dense marshes. Spend much time dropping into vegetation and rising again, as if testing for appropriate and/or safe site, meanwhile with abdomen curled downward to discourage male attention. Both sexes hang up in shrubs and trees.
Habitat Typically wooded country, although may be seen feeding over open areas, larvae common in open ponds as well.
Flight Season TX Apr–Oct.
Distribution Also across Southeast to Virginia, mostly in Coastal Plain.
126.1
Regal Darner male—TX, Curtis Williams (posed)
126.2
Regal Darner immature female—Citrus Co., FL, April 2005 (posed); female—Early Co., GA, September 2002, Giff Beaton
Another small neotropical genus that barely makes it into North America, these are related to pilot darners but with quite different larva, and female cerci are shorter than usual in the family (unusually long in pilot darners). World 4, NA 1, West 1.
127 Malachite Darner Remartinia luteipennis TL 76–80, HW 45–49
Description Big green and brown darner of southwestern canyons. Male: Eyes and face turquoise. Thorax brown with wide green stripe in front, very wide green stripes on sides so thorax looks green with brown stripes. Abdomen brown, mostly green on S1–2 and base of S3. Small forward-pointing green dorsal triangles on S3–6, fine green lines and partial rings on much of abdomen. Female: Colored as male, eyes and face blue (green when immature). Cerci very short and narrow, quite different from other darners (but looks like those with broken-off cerci). Wings become brown with maturity.
Identification Mostly green thorax with vivid brown stripes like no other darner in range. Abdomen more slender than in Common Green Darner, longer than in Blue-eyed Darner. Regal and Swamp Darners, somewhat similar, occur well to east. Green of GREEN DARNERS paler and unmarked with stripes.
Natural History Males cruise at waist to above head height over water or in and out of tall emergent marsh plants, hovering at intervals. Cruising beats may be 15–25 feet in length. Male seen to land on perched female in forest, presumably mating attempt. Females oviposit in dense vegetation, often dropping down into vegetation and hovering repeatedly before deciding on appropriate site.
Habitat Marshy or marsh-edged ponds and pools in streams. More common in wooded areas but may be on entirely open wetlands.
Flight Season AZ Jul–Oct.
Distribution Ranges south in uplands to Argentina.
127
Malachite Darner male, female—Coclé, Panama, January 2008, Giff Beaton
These bright and contrastingly patterned dragonflies fly over lakes and marshes throughout temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, where they dominate dragonfly faunas. Often seen away from water, sometimes at great distances, they commonly form mixed-species feeding swarms, probably aggregating only because flying prey is also aggregated. Both sexes move from water body to water body, not at all tied to one place (probably true of most if not all mosaic darners). Typical coloration includes a pair of stripes on the front and two slanted stripes on either side of the thorax, often green shading down into blue, and a series of paired blue dots down the entire length of the abdomen. Females in most species are polymorphic, with male-colored andromorph and usually more common heteromorph with yellow stripes and spots; green is also an alternate color to blue in some. Check out enough mating pairs, and you will usually see both morphs. Males either fly regular beats along the shoreline or hover here and there in smaller territory, but some of them circumnavigate a pond or lake and then move on to another one, all to search for females ovipositing in shore vegetation. Females disturbed during oviposition usually fly rapidly up into trees. Males can be identified by combination of thoracic stripe shape, abdominal pattern, and appendage type. With enough practice, some species can be picked out as they fly by, but please believe that this is tricky! Because you do not see these dragonflies perch very often, capturing them and identifying them in the hand is the best way to find out what species are present.
Neotropical darners (Rhionaeschna), very similar to but recently separated from mosaic darners, are distinguished by pale borders to T-spot on the frons and tubercle under S1 in both sexes. Some marks to look for to distinguish mosaic and neotropical darners that fly together include (1) shape of male appendages, whether simple, paddle, or forked; (2) eye color bright blue, darker turquoise, or clearly greenish; (3) face unmarked or with obvious dark stripe on frontoclypeal suture; (4) lateral thoracic stripes wide or narrow, straight or notched, extended posteriorly or not at upper ends; (5) presence or absence of markings between lateral thoracic stripes; (6) S10 black or with prominent blue spots; (7) pale spots under most abdominal segments or not; and (8) much hovering or continuous flight along shore. Females are much more difficult to distinguish but share the facial, thoracic, and abdominal patterning (but not necessarily coloration) of males and may have distinctive ovipositors or cerci. Identification problems are greater in the North, where more species occur together. Bear in mind that several other genera of this family can be mistaken for mosaic darners, especially Springtime and Riffle Darners. World 42, NA 15, West 14.
Table 5 Mosaic/Neotropical Darner (Aeshna/Rhionaeschna) Identification
128 Black-tipped Darner Aeshna tuberculifera TL 71–78, HW 44–50
Description Rather dark darner, with limited blue. Lateral thoracic stripes straight (may be slight extension at wing base) and narrow, all blue or blue above, greenish below (no yellow). Frontal stripes very narrow, greenish. Male: Eyes turquoise. Simple appendages, cerci with prominent ventral tubercle in side view at about one-fourth length. Female: Polymorphic, common andromorph colored exactly as male; heteromorph, with yellow-green spots on abdomen, much less common. Cerci large and conspicuous, obviously longer than S9–10 and acutely pointed. Abdomen shaped as male’s.
Identification For both sexes, dark color, with narrow, straight thoracic stripes, limited blue on abdomen and none on S10, distinctive, Superficially most similar Shadow Darner has paddle appendages, pale spots under abdomen. Female Black-tipped identified by looking amazingly like male, same narrow-waisted shape and bright color, large cerci simulate male appendages.
Natural History Males fly along lake shores or over marshes, not hovering, and often above vegetation at head height or above. Females behave exactly like males, presumably mimicking them to avoid harassment when ovipositing, but often fly lower, below tops of sedges. If a seeming male darner, flying among other males in the same manner, suddenly lands and begins ovipositing, it is probably this species. Abdomen of female more slender than in other darners, enhancing similarity to male. Oviposits both well above water level and at water level, on emergent or floating plants, even mud. Cattails, irises, bur-reeds, and other plants used. Sometimes in mixed feeding swarms. Usually one of least common darners where it occurs.
128.1
Black-tipped Darner male—Skamania Co., WA, August 2005 (posed); blue female—Chelan Co., WA, August 2007 (posed)
128.2
Black-tipped Darner green female—Waushara Co., WI, September 2002, Mike Reese
Habitat Clear lakes and ponds, often with associated bog vegetation, in forested regions.
Flight Season BC Jun–Sep, WA Jul–Oct, MT Jul–Sep.
Distribution Also in eastern Canada east to Nova Scotia and south to northern Iowa, Ohio, and Maryland, in mountains to North Carolina.
129 Sedge Darner Aeshna juncea TL 61–69, HW 40–46
Description Lateral thoracic stripes wide and straight, may be slight extension; long streak parallel to and between them and often short streak in front of anterior one. Frontal stripes well developed and conspicuous. Fine black line across face. Whitish spots beneath middle abdominal segments (not in all individuals). Male: Eyes greener than in most other common species, at least in Northwest. Lateral thoracic stripes blue above and yellow-green below. Very wide in some individuals, with in-between streak especially prominent. Blue abdominal spots relatively small but well developed on S10. Simple appendages. Female: Polymorphic, heteromorph with green-tinged eyes and yellow-green markings, andromorph with blue-tinged eyes and blue markings. Cerci rather small for mosaic darner, not as long as S9–10.
Identification Combination of simple appendages and broad, straight thoracic stripes good for this species. Pale streak between stripes more prominent than in other species. Stripes much broader than in Variable Darner, lacking prominent indentations and extensions of Canada, Lake, and Subarctic Darners. Most similar to Subarctic and often occurs with it. Identification can be tricky and may have to be resolved by scrutinizing hamules of individuals in hand, but careful look at thoracic stripe shape will usually do it. Female also with well-developed and fairly long pale stripe between especially broad and straight lateral thoracic stripes. Closest in pattern because of broad, straight lateral stripes would be Black-tipped Darner, which has no in-between stripe. Also, female Sedge one of few species with obvious pale spots under abdomen (usually); thoracic pattern distinct from that of Canada, Shadow, and Subarctic, the other species. See Subarctic for differences from female Sedge. In flight, could be confused with Paddle-tailed Darner, often found with it.
129.1
Sedge Darner male—Fairbanks, AK, August 2002, Wim Arp; green female—Kittitas Co., WA, September 2007
129.2
Sedge Darner blue female—Kittitas Co., WA, August 2006
Natural History Most abundant darner in many northern wetlands. Males fly widely about a foot over extensive sedge beds or with much lengthy hovering, also along vegetated lake shores at knee height and below. Patrol flights over sedges 30 feet long or shorter. Females oviposit at water level or just below in emergent grasses and sedges or matted roots, also into moss. Female either moves short distance when disturbed or flies away from water like a bullet. Many oviposit when males not present. Adult life to 70 days (prereproductive period to 35 days).
Habitat Extensive sedge marshes and mossy fens, also lakes, ponds, and ditches with emergent vegetation.
Flight Season YT Jun–Sep, BC Jun–Sep, WA Jul–Oct, OR Jul–Oct, MT Jul–Sep.
Distribution Confined to higher elevations at lower latitudes. Also across eastern Canada south to Michigan and New Hampshire and all across northern Eurasia.
Mosaic Darners - male hamules
Mosaic Darners - female abdomen tip
130 Subarctic Darner Aeshna subarctica TL 63–68, HW 40–46
Description Lateral thoracic stripes notched and extended, less so than some other species. Short, thin streak between stripes and often narrow partial streak just in front of anterior one. Frontal stripes relatively thin, reduced. Pale spots beneath middle abdominal segments. Male: Eyes green, similar to Sedge Darner in being less bluish than other mosaic darners. Thoracic stripes bluish above and yellow-green below. Female: Polymorphic, female abdomen with blue or yellow or greenish yellow spots. Cerci longer than S9–10.
Identification Often flying with very similar Sedge Darner, from which it is distinguished by narrower thoracic stripes with slight notch in front and extension to rear. Male hamules quite different, only evident in hand with magnification. Females distinguished from Sedge Darner by longer cerci (distinctly longer than S9–10, about 6–7 mm in length, no longer or shorter than those segments in Sedge, about 4–5 mm), shorter ovipositor (just reaches end of S9, surpasses it in Sedge). Both sexes distinguished from Canada Darner by black line across face, less distinct notch on first lateral thoracic stripe.
130
Subarctic Darner male—Chenango Co., NY, September 2004, Allen Barlow (posed); blue female—Worcester Co., MA, August 1997, Blair Nikula (posed)
Natural History Males fly back and forth at waist height over floating beds of sphagnum and other mosses in lakes or muskeg pools, hover in one spot, then move to another. Some males remain in restricted areas for minutes at a time, others wander farther. Females oviposit in mosses and sedges at water surface, usually at the edge of open water. Both sexes cruise in darner assemblages in woodland clearings. Adult life to 70 days (prereproductive period to 35 days).
Habitat Typically fens and bogs with abundant growth of sphagnum and other mosses.
Flight Season YT Jul–Sep, BC Jun–Sep, WA Aug, OR Aug–Oct.
Distribution Also in eastern Canada south to Minnesota and New York and across northern Eurasia.
131 Green-striped Darner Aeshna verticalis TL 62–72, HW 41–47
Description Lateral thoracic stripes notched and extended, mostly green but some blue above; frontal stripes broad, green. Male: Eyes greenish. Simple appendages. Female: Polymorphic, most heteromorphs with green or yellow-green spots, rarely blue. Cerci relatively large, distinctly longer than S9–10, widest near middle; often broken off at maturity.
Identification Much like Canada Darner, but lateral thoracic stripes mostly green (mostly blue in Canada, rarely mostly blue in Green-striped), slightly less notched than in Canada (thus much less notched than Lake), and extension along wing base (“flag”) often but not always becomes wider at end (stays narrow in Canada). In addition, stripes usually brighter and more contrasting. Female differs in same ways. Differs from other species in same way as Canada, including spots under abdomen. Fine teeth on upper surface near tip of cerci in Canada can be seen under magnification; lacking in Green-striped. Difference in female genital valves apparent in hand: grooves on ventral surface extend about to tip in Canada, end well before tip in Green-striped.
131
Green-striped Darner male—Sussex Co., NJ, September 2005, Allen Barlow; green female—Sussex Co., NJ, September 2003, Jim Bangma (posed)
Natural History Both sexes often perch on tree trunks. Males patrol over water as in other mosaic darners, often along border between open water and vegetation, sometimes over sphagnum beds. Also over dense stands of grasses and sedges. Females oviposit in bur-reed stems and pondweed. Feeds in clearings away from water, may join feeding swarms.
Habitat Forest ponds and lakes with much aquatic vegetation.
Flight Season Ontario Jun–Sep.
Distribution Also in East from Minnesota and New Brunswick south to Iowa, Kentucky, and North Carolina.
132 Canada Darner Aeshna canadensis TL 64–73, HW 43–47
Description Lateral thoracic stripes notched and extended, yellow spot between them; frontal stripes well developed. Pale blue or gray spots under most abdominal segments. Male: Lateral thoracic stripes blue; frontal thoracic stripes well developed, greenish; abdominal spots moderate sized and blue. Female: Polymorphic, heteromorph with yellow-tinged brown eyes and yellow-green markings, andromorph with blue-tinged brown eyes and blue markings. May lack frontal stripes.
Identification Most similar to Lake Darner, but both sexes distinguished by being smaller, with no black stripe on face, and pale spots under abdomen. Posterior lateral thoracic stripe slightly indented or incurved in front in Canada, distinctly notched in Lake. Male flight style different, with much hovering in Canada and steady flight in Lake. Very similar to Green-striped Darner, which barely enters eastern edge of region, distinguished by mostly blue lateral thoracic stripes and minor differences in stripe shape (see that species). Female distinguished from other darners by combination of unmarked face, notched/extended thoracic stripes, and pale spots under abdomen. Others with ventral abdominal spots include Sedge, Shadow, and Subarctic Darners, first two with straight stripes and last with notched stripe but no extension.
Natural History Males fly slowly along shore at about waist height, usually back and forth in defined territory of no more than 30–65 feet, and very often hover over and cruise through tall beds of grasses and sedges for lengthy periods, at intervals dropping to surface for quick or extended female search. Copulation usually in shrubs near water. Females oviposit in plant stems, moss, algae, and mud at water level, usually in marshy area rather than at shore. Away from water, perches on tree trunks or hangs from branches; often in mixed feeding swarms. Blue, green, and yellow markings of males may be subdued gray when active at relatively low temperatures, brighten as air warms. Perhaps true of all mosaic darners, but Paddle-tailed Darners remained bright on one such occasion.
132
Canada Darner male—Snohomish Co., WA, August 2005 (posed); blue female—Kitsap Co., WA, September 2005 (posed)
Habitat Lakes and ponds with abundant emergent vegetation in forest zone, often associated with bogs and beaver ponds.
Flight Season YT Aug, BC Jun–Sep, WA Jul–Oct, OR Jul–Oct, CA Aug–Oct, MT Jul–Sep, NE Sep–Oct.
Distribution Also across southern Canada to Newfoundland and south to Illinois and West Virginia.
133 Lake Darner Aeshna eremita TL 66–79, HW 41–52
Description Larger than other mosaic darners, largest darner in much of its range. Lateral thoracic stripes notched and extended, pale spot or streak between them. Much blue on abdomen, none beneath it. Simple appendages. Male: Eyes turquoise above, black line across face. Lateral thoracic stripes blue or blue shading to green below, with spot or streak between them blue or green; frontal stripes greenish. Simple appendages. Female: Polymorphic, with either blue, as in male, or green stripes and spots.
Identification Larger than other mosaic darners, also recognized by continual cruising flight along lake shores. Canada Darner most similar species in most of range because of simple appendages and thoracic pattern. Lake larger than Canada with black line across face, no pale spots under abdomen, and notched posterior lateral thoracic stripe. Female identified by size, thoracic pattern, black face line, and relatively large cerci.
Natural History Males fly rapidly over open water or along lake shores at about knee height, often with long abdomen drooping at tip. Usually stay out of vegetation and no hovering, unlike most other mosaic darners. Sometimes move into beds of dense vegetation to search for females, however. Males remain at water late in afternoon and may continue flying until dark (under midnight sun in far north!). Perching sites for both sexes typically bare twigs, tree trunks, or ground. Females oviposit on floating logs, in stems of emergent herbaceous plants, and in tangles of rootlets on vertical banks at or just below water surface.
Habitat Typically wooded lakes and large ponds, sometimes slow streams.
Flight Season YT Jun–Sep, BC Jun–Sep, WA Jul–Oct, MT Jul–Sep.
Distribution Ranges across southern Canada to Labrador and south to Minnesota and New York.
133.1
Lake Darner male—Whatcom Co., WA, September 2006 (posed)
133.2
Lake Darner blue female—Kootenay National Park, BC, August 1968 (posed); green female—San Juan Co., WA, August 2007 (posed)
134 Variable Darner Aeshna interrupta TL 61–72, HW 41–46
Description Lateral thoracic stripes narrow and straight, narrow and slightly irregular, or divided into upper and lower spot; frontal stripes poorly developed or absent. Fine black line across face. Spotted form mostly seen west of Cascades in Pacific Northwest. Many populations in Northwest, including coastal and montane, include both types and all intermediates between them. Some individuals in Anchorage area have stripes almost absent, represented by tiny dot at lower edge of anterior stripe. Male: Eyes rather dark blue, face pale greenish. Thoracic stripes mostly blue, may be yellow below; upper spots may be blue, lower ones yellow-green. Large amount of blue on abdomen, S3 usually looks all blue on sides, with only narrow black dorsal line. Isolated whitish to pale blue spots on S10 (spotted individuals may lack pale markings on that segment). Simple appendages. Female: Polymorphic, andromorph with blue-tinged eyes and blue body markings, heteromorph with brown eyes and yellow body markings.
Identification Both sexes distinguished from all other mosaic and neotropical darners by lateral stripes being narrow or reduced to spots. Often hard to see thoracic markings on males in flight, even with good look in passing, whereas stripes obvious on other species. Whitish spots on S10 visible on perched individual good mark to distinguish males, as those spots on other species blue. However, those few without spots on S10 could be mistaken for Black-tipped or Shadow Darners, both of which have smaller blue abdominal spots. Female much like female Shadow but lacks pale spots below. As much or more like female Paddle-tailed and may have to be distinguished in hand by smaller, flat genital valves (enclose ovipositor), those of Paddle-tailed a bit more robust and more obviously projecting downward at posterior end. Larger ovipositor makes S9 larger in Paddle-tailed, that segment looking longer than wide (about as long as wide in Variable). Genital valves usually dark below in Variable, pale below in Paddle-tailed, but not always distinctive. Variable usually has tiny tuft of hairs at end of each genital valve (typical of most mosaic darners) lacking in Paddle-tailed (as in all species with “paddle” appendages). One field character involves the most anterior spot on the side of each abdominal segment (look at S6–7), separated from the larger spot behind it by the lateral carina. This spot is more or less round in Paddle-tailed, but in Variable it swoops up to form a vertical line at its front end. Female Variable also much like female Blue-eyed, which has bump under S1.
134.1
Variable Darner striped male—Kitsap Co., WA, September 2005
134.2
Variable Darner spotted male—Siskiyou Co., CA, July 2004, Ray Bruun; yellow female—Kittitas Co., WA, September 2007
Natural History Males fly rapidly or slowly along shorelines or stop to hover and inspect vegetation beds, looking for laying females. Often at edge between open water and cattails, also over dense sedge beds. Tends to fly back and forth over apparently defined territory. Both sexes feeding and at water until dark. Where common, copulating pairs regularly seen in flight, also tandem pairs, some of latter could be mismatched (males are indiscriminate). Females oviposit on floating sedge and grass stems, upright herb and shrub stems, and wet logs. Regularly in mixed feeding swarms of several species of mosaic darners. Often perch on tree trunks, also on ground at higher latitudes. Commonly encountered far from water in mountain clearings, probably “hilltops” like butterflies. Most abundant darner by far on Canadian prairies and locally common over much of range. Huge aggregations, with smaller numbers of other mosaic darners, seen in midsummer moving up east slope of Rockies in Alberta.
Habitat Lakes and ponds of all sorts, even small ones, usually with dense shore vegetation but at least some open water. From lowlands to well up in mountains.
Flight Season YT Jun–Sep, BC Jun–Oct, WA Jul–Oct, OR May–Sep, CA May–Oct, MT Jun–Oct, AZ Jun–Sep, NE Jul–Sep.
Distribution Also across southern Canada to Newfoundland and south to Minnesota and New Jersey.
Comments Several named subspecies differ in shape of thoracic stripes or structure of male cerci. A. i. interrupta occurs in eastern forests to east of region covered by this book. In that subspecies, lateral thoracic stripes broken into two pairs of above-and-below spots (thus interrupta). A. i. lineata, which has narrow, linear thoracic stripes, is subspecies of prairies and west to Pacific coast. In parts of Great Basin, from southern Idaho to Arizona, male cerci a bit wider, with more sinuous inner edge and dorsal ridge and small bump on inside of base, and these have been called A. i. interna. Extent of distribution of this form not entirely clear, but may intergrade broadly with lineata to north. That the color pattern may be caused by climatic factors rather than genetic differences is indicated by the populations in the wet Pacific Northwest, where thoracic pattern of spots is much like those of eastern North America.
135 Zigzag Darner Aeshna sitchensis TL 57–60, HW 37–40
Description Small darner with lateral thoracic stripes narrow and so strongly notched and extended that they form a zigzag shape. Stripes often broken and may have spot or streak in between. Frontal stripes reduced or lacking. Male: Eyes brown mixed with blue around edges. All pale markings light blue, no green or yellow. Female: Polymorphic, heteromorph with eyes brown with blue highlights, thoracic stripes yellow, abdominal spots yellow to white. Andromorph with eyes and pale markings blue.
Identification Small size and very blue abdomen of males obvious. From above, blue spots on midabdomen much like those of other darners, but spots get conspicuously larger toward rear until they cover more than half of segment, unlike all others but similar Azure. Only these two northern darners are so small and blue. Compared with Azure Darner, abdomen has alternating brown and blue along side and more brown than blue from above. See Azure for diagnostic difference in thoracic pattern. Pattern on top of frons also diagnostic, black transverse stripe in front of eyes bulging forward at either end like crescent in Zigzag, not so in Azure. Also check length of eye seam (see under Azure). Female abdomen more dark than pale from above.
135.1
Zigzag Darner male—Heckman Pass, BC, July 2006, Netta Smith; male inset—Heckman Pass, BC, July 2006
135.2
Zigzag Darner pair—Pend Oreille Co., WA, August 2004
Natural History Both sexes perch on ground, gravel roads, logs, tree trunks, and other usually light-colored substrates, males more commonly out in breeding habitat. Rather tame, and often land on light-colored clothing or net. Males perch on patches of light-colored moss raised above surrounding marsh, alternating low flights (knee height) over open meadows with no more hovering but more perching than other mosaic darners. Difference perhaps more apparent than real because they are easy to see when perched and other species are hidden in trees and shrubs. Pairs easier to find than in other mosaic darners, probably for same reason; tend to perch in low shrubs rather than on ground but also fly into woodland as do other species. Males at times fly above tall sedges much like Sedge Darner but usually at small, shallow pools. Females oviposit at water level in dense grass or sedges or at edge of open water, often in moss beds, into algal mats, or on mud. Retire to open woodland and clearings when away from breeding habitat, but feed both at and away from bogs, males while in sexual patrol.
Habitat Fens and cold-water pools with low sedges and mosses, often bordered by shrubby or wooded uplands and usually shallow with little open water. May dry up in midsummer.
Flight Season YT Jun–Aug, BC Jun–Sep, WA Jul–Sep, OR Aug–Sep, MT Jul–Sep.
Distribution Ranges across eastern Canada to Labrador and south to Michigan and New Hampshire.
136 Azure Darner Aeshna septentrionalis TL 54–63, HW 35–40
Description Small darner with lateral thoracic stripes narrow and so strongly notched and extended that they form a zigzag shape. Stripes often broken. Frontal stripes reduced or lacking. Male: Eyes blue. All pale markings light blue, no green or yellow. Female: Polymorphic, blue just as male or with yellow markings, pale markings of abdomen less extensive than in male.
Identification Should only be confused with similar-sized and also northerly occurring Zigzag Darner. Both sexes differ by having considerably more pale color on abdomen, blue or yellow spots sufficiently close that from side abdomen looks just about all blue or yellow, from above more pale than dark. Pale spots distinct and separate in Zigzag. However, both are variable, and color patterns on some individuals may be less than diagnostic. In side view, look at anterior lateral thoracic stripe. In Azure, thin stripe parallel and just before it extends to where lateral stripe zigzags at about mid height; in Zigzag, that front stripe shorter, more triangular or curved, and not extended to point of zigzagging. Markings on top of frons also distinctive, in this species black bar in front of eyes narrow at ends, not bulging forward. Perhaps best close-range characteristic is eye seam, line where eyes meet: short in Azure, no longer than length of occiput, distinctly longer than occiput in Zigzag.
Natural History Both sexes perch commonly on ground, rocks, tree trunks, and moss, usually light-colored. Males fly low over marshy areas or floating moss mats much like male Zigzags. Females oviposit in mosses and soupy mud (“muskeg slime”) at edge of pools. Along with Treeline Emerald, the northernmost dragonfly.
136.1
Azure Darner male—Old Crow, YT, July 1983, Rob Cannings
136.2
Azure Darner yellow female—Talkeetna, AK, July 2007, Martin Reid; blue female—Haines Junction, YT, June 2004, Jim Bangma (posed)
Habitat Fens and shallow ponds, similar to Zigzag Darner habitat, but sphagnum and other mosses characteristically present.
Flight Season YT Jun–Sep, BC Jun–Aug.
Distribution Also around south end of Hudson Bay and east to Labrador and Newfoundland.
137 Lance-tipped Darner Aeshna constricta TL 65–73, HW 42–45
Description Lateral thoracic stripes notched and extended; frontal stripes well developed. Male: Thoracic stripes blue to green, extensive blue on abdomen. Paddle appendages. Female: Abdomen shape about as male’s. Polymorphic, with duller yellow-marked heteromorph and brighter blue-marked andromorph, andromorph very bright and male-like. Heteromorphs may have largely yellowish wings. Cerci large and lance-shaped (thus common name), persistent and conspicuous. Cerci only as long as S9–10 because S9 very large, almost twice as long as S10, distinctly larger than same segment in females of other species. Also, pale spots on S9 large and square, distinctly larger than those on S8 and extending lower on sides, unique among female darners.
Identification Only species in paddletail group with anterior lateral thoracic stripe notched in front and drawn out to rear at top. Lateral stripe shape distinguishes from Paddle-tailed and Shadow Darners, only other paddletails with which it occurs. Most similar to Paddle-tailed, but lacks fine dark line across face and pale mark on S1 of that species as well as having different thoracic stripes. Females identified by thoracic stripe pattern in combination with large, pointed cerci and large S9 with large square spot; only other darner with similarly large cerci is very differently colored Black-tipped, with smaller and smaller-spotted S9.
137
Lance-tipped Darner male—Thurston Co., WA, September 2005; blue female—Worcester Co., MA, July 2004, Tom Murray
Natural History Males fly beats along shores or through semiopen cattails. Females brightly colored as males and fly over water like them, perhaps mimicking them to avoid harassment by other species. Oviposit on upright stems and leaves of cattails, sweetflag, and other robust plants up to waist height above moist or dry ground; also commonly at surface, including on peat soil. Egg laying slow and methodical, may lay only few eggs in given stem. To avoid male harassment may fly with abdomen bent down sharply. Often in mixed feeding swarms. Typically hang in low shrubs or herbaceous vegetation.
Habitat Shallow marshy ponds and similar edges of larger lakes, commonly in open country. Breeding occurs in ponds that dry up every year, unusual for darners. Many of the habitats occupied by this species in the West have dried up in recent years, and it has declined in those regions.
Flight Season BC Jun–Sep, WA Jul–Sep, NE Jul–Oct.
Distribution May expand during wet years, accounting for isolated records in plains, then contract during droughts. Also ranges east across southern Canada to Nova Scotia and south to Missouri, Kentucky, and New Jersey, occasionally farther.
138 Paddle-tailed Darner Aeshna palmata TL 65–75, HW 41–46
Description Lateral thoracic stripes straight, occasionally extended; pale spot between them. Frontal stripes present, usually quite narrow. Fine black line across face. Male: Eyes slightly toward the turquoise side of bright blue. Thoracic stripes blue to greenish-yellow. Blue spots on abdomen large. Paddle appendages. Female: Polymorphic, heteromorph with brown eyes and yellow stripes and spots, andromorph with blue eyes and much blue in stripes and spots. Cerci obtusely angled at tip, about as long as S9–10.
Identification Very common western darner with paddle-shaped appendages, can be used as basic Aeshna from which other species must be distinguished over large part of West. First, consider other species with paddle-shaped appendages. Male most similar to Lance-tipped, which has anterior thoracic stripe clearly notched and more extended, also lacks black line on face and blue vertical slash on S1. (Note that aged individuals of mosaic darners often have dark smudges on face.) Also similar to Shadow but differs in much more extensive blue on abdomen, including S10; wider thoracic stripes; black line on face; and blue on S1. Differs from Walker’s Darner by more colorful lateral thoracic stripes, greenish-yellow to blue (whitish in Walker’s), and again black facial line and blue on S10. In hand, difference in appendages in these two species evident. Female with thoracic stripes rather straight and moderately wide, differs from most other mosaic darners in this. Differs from Shadow by lack of spots under abdomen and persistent cerci (Shadow females break theirs off soon after maturity). Many female Variable Darners have spots or quite narrow stripes, but those with widest stripes very much like female Paddle-tailed, differ by smaller ovipositor valves (not extending beyond end of S9, unlike Paddle-tailed) with tiny pencil of hairs on end of each (not present in Paddle-tailed). See Variable also. Paddle-tailed differs from rather similar Blue-eyed by lacking pale borders to T-spot and having tubercle under S1.
Natural History Males fly beats back and forth along shore and hover frequently while facing shore, over open water or in openings among emergent plants. Often single males localize in embayments where water penetrates woodland, as small as 8 feet in diameter. Typically fly at knee to waist height, lower when searching intently for ovipositing females. Even move slowly into shrubbery well away from water, perhaps looking for roosting females. Males hover for long periods, then fly out and around in short patrol flight, then back to hovering in same spot. Pairs couple over water and immediately fly into woods, hang in trees at or near waterside. Females oviposit on wet floating logs at water level or up to a foot above it on stems of cattails, bulrushes, irises, and other emergent plants. Often in mixed feeding swarms. Most common mosaic darner over large parts of the Northwest.
Habitat Lakes, ponds, and slow streams, even small ones, usually with dense shore vegetation. For the most part in forested landscapes, but some populations in open country. Colonizes small suburban ponds readily.
138.1
Paddle-tailed Darner male—Kittitas Co., WA, September 2007
138.2
Paddle-tailed Darner yellow female—Kittitas Co., WA, September 2007; blue female—Kitsap Co., WA, September 2005 (posed)
Flight Season YT Jun–Sep, BC May–Oct, WA Jun–Nov, OR Jun–Nov, CA May–Nov, MT Jul–Oct, AZ Jun–Oct, NM Jun–Aug, NE May–Oct.
Distribution Only in mountains in southern part of range.
139 Shadow Darner Aeshna umbrosa TL 64–73, HW 41–47
Description Dark darner with narrow, straight lateral thoracic stripes, some with posterior “flags” at upper end; frontal stripes usually narrow but present. Abdominal spots small, but also pale spots under abdomen. Male: Eyes turquoise. Lateral thoracic stripes blue-green above, yellow-green below. Paddle appendages. Female: Polymorphic, heteromorph with brown eyes and yellow markings, andromorph with blue-tinged eyes, greenish to yellow thoracic stripes, and blue abdominal spots. Cerci rounded at tip, longer than S9–10, usually broken off at maturity.
Identification Male distinguished from Lance-tipped and Paddle-tailed Darners, with which it often occurs, by smaller abdominal spots, black S10, and pale spots under abdomen. Blue anteroventral spot on S7 distinctly larger than posterodorsal spot, unlike most other mosaic darners; easily seen in side view. Also from Lance-tipped by narrower thoracic stripes. Both sexes distinguished from Paddle-tailed by lack of black line on face and pale marking (blue or yellow) on S10. The two occur together very commonly and constantly need distinction. May occur sparingly with Walker’s Darner, differs by yellow and green thoracic stripes and slightly differently shaped appendages. Female as other darners with fairly narrow, straight thoracic stripes but with conspicuous pale spots under abdomen. Dorsal abdominal spots generally small, makes abdomen look darker than in most other species. Lack of apparent cerci may be indicative mark, as much more frequently broken off in Shadow than others. Rear of head pale in Shadow, dark in most other species; must look carefully for this even in hand.
139.1
Shadow Darner male—Grays Harbor Co., WA, October 2007
139.2
Shadow Darner yellow female—Whatcom Co., WA, September 2006 (posed); blue female—King Co., WA, August 2005 (posed)
Natural History Males fly beats up and down streams and along lake shores, with much hovering while facing shore, even as long as 30 sec in one spot. Often fly low, closer to water than other species, but much variation. Females oviposit on logs and twigs in water or on moist tree trunks or earth banks, sometimes well above water and even in rather dry situations. Perhaps because of woody oviposition substrates, females much more likely than other mosaic darners to break off cerci as they mature. Both sexes much more common at water later in day, and morning surveys may not reveal their presence. Feeding flights in clearings and at woodland edges, from ground level to considerably higher. As name implies, often pursues all activities in shade. Regularly flies until too dark to see it clearly, much like tropical dusk-flying darners. Usually one of last species of autumn, flying along with Autumn Meadowhawks.
Habitat Lakes, ponds, even small ones, and slow streams. More common on streams than other mosaic darners in its range (only Persephone’s and Walker’s more characteristic of streams). Colonizes small suburban ponds readily.
Flight Season YT Jul–Aug, BC May–Oct, WA Jun–Nov, OR May–Nov, CA Feb–Nov, MT Jul–Sep, NM May–Oct, NE Jul–Oct.
Distribution In mountains in southern Rockies, lowlands in adjacent Great Plains. Also east across Canada to Newfoundland and south to Arkansas, Alabama, and Georgia.
Comments Two distinctive subspecies, eastern and western. The eastern A. u. umbrosa, occurring all across plains, has quite small abdominal spots that are greenish on posterior segments. The western A. u. occidentalis, occurring from Rocky Mountains west, has these spots blue and averaging larger. Oddly, a few individuals matching the eastern subspecies have been found in Pacific coast lowlands.
Mosaic Darners - female abdomen tip
140 Walker’s Darner Aeshna walkeri TL 63–70, HW 43–48
Description Lateral thoracic stripes narrow and straight. Male: Eyes dull brownish-gray with blue tinge and pale blue posterior edges, face pale blue to white. Thoracic stripes pale blue above, whitish below, or entirely white. Paddle appendages. Female: Eyes dark brown, paler below, with hint of blue. Color pattern much as male, abdominal spots either blue or olive-green. Presumably polymorphic. Cerci narrow at base, expanded toward tip; often broken off.
Identification In parts of range, only paddletail species. Where overlapping with other paddletails (Paddle-tailed, Shadow), distinguished by whitish face, dull eye color (pale blue edges distinctive), whitish to pale blue thoracic stripes (with green and/or yellow in other species). Male appendages somewhat broader in middle than in other paddletails. Lacks black face line and blue spots on S10 of Paddle-tailed, spots under abdomen of Shadow. Overlaps extensively with Blue-eyed Darner, female lacks bump under S1 of that species. Whitish thoracic stripes should also distinguish female from female Paddle-tailed, Shadow, and Variable where they overlap. Female cerci distinctively shaped when present, broadening toward tip, whereas cerci of Paddle-tailed slightly larger, broadest before middle. Cerci often broken off, as in Shadow (relatively rarely in Paddle-tailed).
140
Walker’s Darner male—San Luis Obispo Co., CA, September 2006, Paul Johnson
Natural History Males fly slowly up and down narrow streams at knee to waist height, searching for females at pools. Spend more time poking into vegetation than other darners that may be seen with them. Females oviposit in afternoon on moss and hanging rootlets on vertical earth banks or rocks. Both sexes feed above hillsides near breeding streams; rarely seen perched.
Habitat Small streams with riffles and pools bordered by riparian shrub- or woodland in lowlands and foothills. The mosaic darner most typical of streams in California, although Shadow Darner also occurs on them, mostly outside range of Walker’s.
Flight Season OR Jul–Sep, CA May–Nov.
Distribution Ranges south in Mexico to Baja California.
141 Persephone’s Darner Aeshna persephone TL 74–79, HW 50–51
Description Large brightly patterned species of southwestern mountain streams. Lateral thoracic stripes straight and broad (narrower in northern Arizona), anterior one very slightly notched and extended; frontal stripes narrow, inconspicuous in comparison with laterals. Abdominal spots arranged in rings. Male: Eyes bright blue. Lateral thoracic stripes yellowish to chartreuse. Abdominal spots (rings) blue, no blue on S10. Paddle appendages. Female: Polymorphic. Eyes gray, otherwise colored as male, but some females with yellow markings on abdomen instead of blue. Cerci rather short, shorter than S9–10, narrow but widest toward tip.
Identification Slightly larger than most other darners in its range. Broad, straight thoracic stripes, ringed look of abdomen, and strong contrast between yellowish markings on thorax and blue on abdomen distinguish both sexes from all others in range. Population in Oak Creek Canyon in northern Arizona has much narrower thoracic stripes and could be mistaken for other species but for ringed appearance. No other paddletail-type darner reported from south of Grand Canyon, however. Ringed appearance of abdomen and yellowish thoracic stripes of Persephone’s distinguish it from NEOTROPICAL DARNERS (Arroyo, Blue-eyed) that occur with it. Distinctly larger than Riffle Darner, with straight thoracic stripes. Blue and yellow coloration distinguish it from Apache Spiketail and Western River Cruiser that fly along some of same streams.
Natural History Males fly slowly along streams, especially over large pools, and search for females at shore. Also hawk for insects, even high in air around tree canopies. Both sexes hang up in dense vegetation. Generally uncommon throughout range.
Habitat Forested or shrub-bordered slow to fairly swift rocky streams in mountains.
Flight Season AZ Jul–Nov, NM Aug–Sep.
Distribution Ranges south in highlands of Mexico to Nayarit.
141
Persephone’s Darner male—Cochise Co., AZ, September 2004 (posed); blue female—Sonora, Mexico, September 2004
Riffle, Mosaic, and Neotropical Darners - male appendages
Resembling mosaic darners, both sexes are distinguished in hand or at close range from the side by a low but fairly evident bump (tubercle) under the first abdominal segment. In addition, the black T-spot on the frons is bordered by a conspicuously paler area in neotropical darners; not so in mosaic darners. In male neotropical, blue marking on the rear of S2 is flat in front, not connected to middorsal blue line (connected in mosaic). Females of both genera are patterned the same. Forked appendages in males of some species are distinct from those of mosaic darners; eyes are bright blue in most North American species. As in mosaic darners, females of most species are polymorphic, with heteromorph more common. Males tend to fly continuously rather than hovering. The group is characteristic of South and Central America, with a few species extending north all the way to Canada. World 41, NA 5, West 4.
142 Turquoise-tipped Darner Rhionaeschna psilus TL 58–60, HW 36–43
Description Lateral thoracic stripes chartreuse, slightly notched and extended. Frontal stripes prominent, similarly colored. Male: Eyes turquoise, face blue. Abdominal markings very narrow greenish bands, look like rings from above. Posterior half of S2 and underside of S9–10 bright blue; blue on top of S10 varies from extensive to absent. Female: Apparently not polymorphic (polymorphism less common in tropical species). Patterned as male but eyes and face brown, all markings greenish-yellow; no turquoise tip. Cerci very long, longer than S8–10.
142.1
Turquoise-tipped Darner male—Baja California Sur, Mexico, January 2006, Steve Mlodinow; female—Hidalgo Co., TX, June 2007, Martin Reid
142.2
Turquoise-tipped Darner male—Lubbock Co., TX, October 2007, Jerry Hatfield
Identification Bright blue underside of abdomen tip diagnostic of male if visible. Otherwise, nothing else in its range like this small darner with broad greenish thoracic stripes and dull greenish abdominal rings. Might be mistaken for Springtime Darner, but flight season barely if at all overlaps. Springtime has brown eyes, blue spots on abdomen. Female distinguished by smallish size, rings instead of spots on abdomen, long cerci when present (may be broken off, but then shows broken tip of remnant).
Natural History Males fly back and forth fairly low over pools in stream beds, then suddenly hang up at head height or lower. Seem to perch more frequently than most other darners, with less time in incessant flight. This is a darner that photographers love! While moving along bank, males fly slowly, poke into shaded crevices, very thorough search for females. Females oviposit on floating wood, in vegetation in water, or on mud. Both sexes may roost in fields as well as woodland away from water.
Habitat Usually on pools of slow-flowing wooded streams, also shaded forest ponds.
Flight Season CA Oct, AZ Apr–Nov, TX Mar–Nov.
Distribution Appears to be increasing rapidly in Texas. Ranges south to Argentina.
Comments Spot-fronted Darner (Rhionaeschna manni) of southern Baja California could reach southwestern border. It has underside of S10 blue as in Turquoise-tipped but has narrow blue instead of broad green lateral thoracic stripes. Males look superficially more like California Darner, which lacks blue under S10 and has shorter cerci.
143 California Darner Rhionaeschna californica TL 57–64, HW 37–49
Description Small darner, unusual among neotropical and mosaic darners for its spring flight season. Lateral thoracic stripes straight and with conspicuous black borders behind, slightly more slanted toward rear than those of other darners (posterior stripe just behind base of hindwing at upper end). Frontal stripes absent. Male: Eyes bright blue, face whitish above, bluer in front. Appendages simple, as those of many mosaic darners, but cerci with obvious ventral tubercle in side view at about one-third length. Female: Polymorphic, heteromorph with eyes light brown, stripes yellow, spots yellow to white. Andromorph with eyes strongly tinged with blue, thoracic stripes and pale markings on abdomen blue. Cerci as long as S9–10 but distinctly narrower than in most similar darners.
Identification Only small darner in its range, also only one flying in early spring. Superficially most like Blue-eyed Darner, which is larger, flies later in summer (although much overlap), and flies higher and farther out over water. Blue-eyed has even more brilliant blue eyes, entirely blue face and thoracic stripes (both whitish in California). Blue-eyed also more likely to have frontal thoracic stripes, less likely to show fine black line across face. Equally small Zigzag Darner overlaps California slightly in range but not in flight season, habitat, or behavior. Zigzag is later in summer, usually over meadows in mountains, and lands on ground or tree trunks, California over water and perches on vegetation. Somewhat similarly patterned Variable Darner considerably larger and often with yellow on thoracic stripes. Female best distinguished from female Blue-eyed and all MOSAIC DARNERS with which it might fly by smaller size and hint of blackish lines bordering pale thoracic stripes. Neither Blue-eyed nor most MOSAIC DARNERS show such dark lines, although they can be evident in female Paddle-tailed and Shadow Darners, larger with later flight season. See also similar-looking but extralimital Spot-fronted Darner (under Turquoise-tipped Darner).
Natural History Males fly along shore, often right at water surface and very close to shore, moving into emergent vegetation in their search for females and hovering at that time. Pairs mate in flight, fly quickly to dense marsh vegetation or nearby trees and shrubs and copulate at length (5–20 min). Females oviposit in vertical stems or floating leaves of marsh plants at water level. Perching usually in shrubs or herbs, lower than many other darners, but some up in trees, even on trunks. Feed by flying around clearings, up to considerable height. One of first odonate species, almost always first dragonfly to appear in spring throughout at least northern part of range. Uncommon by midsummer when most darners just emerging.
143.1
California Darner male—Siskiyou Co., CA, June 2004
143.2
California Darner yellow female—Marin Co., CA, March 2003, Robert A. Behrstock
Habitat Wide variety of ponds and lakes with fringing vegetation, also slow streams; in wooded or open country.
Flight Season BC Apr–Jul, WA Apr–Aug, OR Apr–Sep, CA Feb–Aug, MT Jun–Jul, NE Apr–Aug.
Distribution Ranges south in Mexico to Baja California.
144 Arroyo Darner Rhionaeschna dugesi TL 70–74, HW 48–53
Description Lateral thoracic stripes straight and narrow, anterior one with slight extension. Frontal stripes well developed but narrow. Male: Eyes and face bright sky-blue. Appendages almost forked, with long upper fork and hint of lower fork. Female: Probably polymorphic, heteromorph with yellow-brown eyes and yellow-green body markings, rare andromorph with blue. Cerci slightly longer than S9–10, widest in middle.
Identification Only this and Blue-eyed Darner share such bright sky-blue eyes and entirely blue thoracic stripes in Southwest. Arroyo of both sexes distinguished from Blue-eyed by anterior thoracic stripe extending backward slightly at top. No extension in Blue-eyed, and this clearly visible with a good look. Good look at male appendages also distinguishes them, clearly forked in Blue-eyed and merely notched in Arroyo. Blue spot on either side of S3 may prove characteristic of yellow female Arroyo. In hand, ventromedial carina on middle abdominal segments of female Arroyo turns inward toward front end of segment, in Blue-eyed stays nearly parallel (best to compare). Other southwestern stream darners (Malachite, Persephone’s, Riffle, Turquoise-tipped) all differ in color.
144.1
Arroyo Darner male—Santa Cruz Co., AZ, September 2004
144.2
Arroyo Darner yellow female—Cochise Co., AZ, May 2002, Doug Danforth
Natural History Males fly much like Blue-eyed Darners, over open water and along shorelines at waist height or below. Not distinguishable by behavior. Appears less likely than Blue-eyed to wander far from water, but perhaps only poorly known. Females oviposit in plant stems or rootlets or on wet logs or mud of stream banks.
Habitat Slow streams and drainage ditches in open and wooded country, also isolated pools, even garden ponds. Usually higher up into mountain woodland than Blue-eyed Darner.
Flight Season AZ May–Oct, NM May–Oct, TX Jun–Sep.
Distribution Ranges south in uplands of Mexico to Oaxaca.
145 Blue-eyed Darner Rhionaeschna multicolor TL 65–69, HW 42–45
Description Lateral thoracic stripes straight and narrow. Frontal stripes vary from narrow to absent. Male: Eyes and face bright sky-blue, thoracic stripes pale blue. Female: Polymorphic, heteromorph with brown eyes and yellow body markings. Andromorph with blue-tinged eyes and face, yellow to blue-green stripes on thorax, and blue spots on abdomen.
Identification Bright sky-blue eyes of male allow easy distinction from all other darners over much of range. Smaller California Darner has blue eyes as well, not quite as bright, and face paler blue or whitish; also looks distinctly smaller in field and typically flies lower. See Arroyo Darner, exactly like Blue-eyed at a distance and overlapping with it in Southwest. Most similar to female Arroyo, which has slight extension on anterior lateral stripe; must be well seen to detect this difference. Female distinguished in hand from all MOSAIC DARNERS by tubercle under S1, in field with more difficulty. Those in its range with straight and relatively narrow thoracic stripes for which it could be mistaken include Paddle-tailed, Shadow, and Variable Darners. Differs from Shadow in larger blue spots on abdomen, none beneath it, but too similar to other two species to be identifiable unless tubercle or pale areas next to T-spot seen.
145.1
Blue-eyed Darner male—Thurston Co., WA, September 2005
145.2
Blue-eyed Darner yellow female—King Co., WA, July 2007 (posed); blue female—San Benito Co., CA, August 2006, Paul Johnson
Natural History Males fly over open water and along shores, usually continuously but occasionally hovering briefly, typically at waist height. Usually less likely to hover than mosaic darners but may have well-defined beats along short length of shoreline. Often alternate open-water flight with slow and low patrol through dense tall emergent vegetation. Copulating pairs perch from near ground up into trees, often flying for some time back and forth over water before finding good perch. Females oviposit in dense emergent vegetation and on floating plant stems and leaves and woody branches in open water, laying eggs above or below waterline. Both sexes wander far from water when not breeding, liable to be seen anywhere away from water, including cruising over city yards and parking lots throughout West. Called “most domestic” of western odonates by C. H. Kennedy, and most common darner, along with Common Green, in much of lowland West. May occur in mixed feeding swarms. On very hot days, roost well within cover of riparian trees, sometimes in groups, and may fly until dusk. Thought to be migratory in California, where large numbers appear in fall, often with migrating Common Green Darners.
Habitat All kinds of lakes, ponds, slow streams, and canals, especially common in highly productive, open marshy lakes and in open rather than wooded areas.
Flight Season BC May–Sep, WA May–Oct, OR May–Oct, CA Mar–Dec, AZ Feb–Nov, NM Mar–Nov, NE Jun–Sep, TX Apr–Nov.
Distribution Ranges south in uplands of Mexico to Michoacan, also in Iowa and western Missouri.
These large, robust darners are among the largest of dragonflies in most regions. North American species display a bright green thorax, but some Old World species are quite different, for example black and yellow banded or entirely red. The thorax is bulky, abdomen swollen at the base and a bit thicker and relatively shorter than in many other large dragonflies but excessively long in Giant Darner, the largest dragonfly in North America. Male hindwings are without the sharp angle on inner corner characteristic of other darners; also lacking are projecting auricles on S2. Adults fly swiftly and directly along shorelines or over open water and are less likely to hover than most other darners. World 28, NA 5, West 5.
146 Amazon Darner Anax amazili TL 70–75, HW 49–52
Description Robust darner with green thorax and white-spotted abdomen. Male: Eyes brownish gray to blue-gray, face green. “Bull’s eye” on top of frons with blue border interrupted at front. Thorax bright green. Abdomen with S1–2 bright green; sides of S1 white, forming what looks like ring from side, small blue median spots on S2. Rest of abdomen black to dark brown with whitish irregular spots on sides of S3–9. With age, abdomen darkens, and spots eventually become obscure; white ring becomes green. Female: Colored exactly as male.
Identification Most like Common Green Darner, but white-spotted or entirely dark abdomen distinctive, as is white or pale green basal ring conspicuous from sides. Also somewhat like Blue-spotted Comet Darner, which has long legs and no marking on top of frons, as well as blue abdomen spots. Blue-faced Darner, also with green thorax, is smaller and much more slender as well as having fine brown lines on thorax and mostly brown abdomen.
Natural History Both sexes, or perhaps only females, spend dry season as adults, then females oviposit by themselves in herbaceous vegetation both above and below water level or in completely dry basins. Breed in temporary wetlands just as rains come, larvae developing quickly as top predators in fishless ecosystems. Males less often seen than females, rarely at water as other North American species; probably do not mate at water. Often seen in feeding flights that may be low and fast during day and at dusk; occasionally comes to lights during dusk flight. Other individuals encountered roosting at head height in woodland.
146.1
Amazon Darner male—Travis Co., TX, August 2006, Bob Thomas
146.2
Amazon Darner female—Guanacaste Prov., Costa Rica, April 1967 (posed)
Habitat Open ponds and marshes; temporary waters preferred in tropics.
Flight Season TX Apr–Nov.
Distribution Not certainly established as breeding species in United States but perhaps does so, from number of recent records in south Texas and Florida. Alternatively, perhaps regular summer movement of individuals north from tropics, with small enough numbers that males and females unlikely to find one another. Recorded also in Louisiana and Florida, ranges south in lowlands to Argentina; also Galapagos and West Indies.
147 Blue-spotted Comet Darner Anax concolor TL 65–74, HW 43–46
Description Long-legged green darner with blue-spotted abdomen and no markings on frons. Legs especially long. Male: Eyes blue to blue-green. Thorax and abdomen S1–2 green; rest of abdomen brown, reddish-brown at tip, with large blue spots on S3–9, two pairs of spots above and one below on middle segments. Female: Colored as male, blue abdomen spots slightly more extensive.
Identification Much like Comet Darner, with long legs and no marking on top of frons. Both sexes differ from that species in blue-spotted brown abdomen, looks a bit more orange at tip. Females more similar, but abdomen of Comet still looks more reddish, with pale spots less distinct. Male has strong yellow wash in middle of each hindwing, lacking in Comet Darner. Amazon and Common Green Darners also show this wash but have all blue, all violet, or white-spotted abdomens.
Natural History Feeding individuals cruise over open areas or low woodland like Common Green Darners. Known to feed on other dragonflies and butterflies, including distasteful ones. Males fly rapidly at about knee to waist height around edges and across middle of ponds with or without much shore vegetation. May also fly back-and-forth beats no more than 30 feet long. Search for females in dense grass beds where they oviposit. Also encountered roosting in woodland. Females seldom seen, even where males common in tropics.
Habitat Shallow, open ponds in or out of woodland.
Flight Season TX Jun–Nov.
Distribution Only recently discovered in United States but may be a resident, so far known only from few males seen at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge in south Texas. Ranges south in lowlands to Argentina, also throughout West Indies.
147
Blue-spotted Comet Darner male—Hidalgo Co., TX, November 2005
Description Large darner with green thorax, red abdomen. Legs especially long. Male: Eyes green to blue-green. Thorax and S1–2 green, S3–10 Intensely red-orange, only faintly patterned. Female: Colored as male but abdomen duller, more reddish brown, more obviously patterned with paler spots, and slightly thicker and shorter. Immatures of both sexes have more prominent spots, sometimes with bluish tinge. One of few darners lacking any marking on top of frons.
Identification Unmistakable, but see closely related Blue-spotted Comet Darner, with which it overlaps in south Texas; females more similar than males. Confusion also possible with immature and female Common Green Darners, which may have reddish-purple abdomen, but that species at all ages has dark stripe along top of abdomen and “bull’s eye” on top of frons.
Natural History Males fly along or offshore, cruising long distances in larger bodies of water but easily watched at length in small ones. Single male may cruise around entire shore of midsized ponds. Flight at waist to chest height. Females oviposit in emergent vegetation at water surface, may come to water in some numbers when males not present. Much less often seen away from water than Common Green Darner.
Habitat Shallow lakes and ponds, typically with extensive beds of grasses and normally lacking fish.
Flight Season TX Apr–Oct.
Distribution In East north to Missouri, Michigan, and New England, stragglers farther north.
148
Comet Darner male—Centre Co., PA, June 2005, Bryan Pfeiffer; female—Leon Co., FL, April 2005 (posed)
149 Giant Darner Anax walsinghami
Male: TL 100–116, HW 56–67; Female: TL 88–98, HW 56–60
Description Very large green darner (because of especially long abdomen) with mostly blue or brownish abdomen. Bull’s eye somewhat like that of Common Green Darner on top of frons. Male: Eyes dull blue above, greenish below; face pale greenish. Thorax green, sides quite blue in some males (older ones?). Abdomen dark brown with large, irregular patches of bright blue all along its length. Female: Polymorphic. Abdomen considerably shorter than that of male, colored mostly brown but with large irregular spots either greenish or blue.
Identification No other dragonfly in North America has such long abdomen, and size alone distinguishes it. Coloration similar to Common Green Darner, with green thorax and blue abdomen, but blue of abdomen broken by black bands along most of length so looks patchier than in smaller relative. Females considerably shorter than males, more easily mistaken for female Common Green, but still obviously larger, with abdomen just longer than wings (shorter in Common Green). Middle abdominal segments almost as long as thorax in Giant, much shorter in Common Green. Giant also differs by having series of pale spots down abdomen, rather than continuous dark center and light sides as Common Green.
Natural History Males patrol long stretches of stream, 30–300 feet or more, and defend them vigorously. Usually over pools at waist to chest height, often lower over riffles. When few present, may be long time between sightings, so beats may be very long. Slow but steady flight, often alternating fluttering and gliding, but easily attains high speed and adept at avoiding capture. Abdomen of male arched in flight, perhaps necessary because of its length. Occasionally examine shore vegetation to search for females. Females oviposit in emergent streamside vegetation or on floating algal mats or submerged plants. Seldom seen away from water but sometimes few together in feeding flight as in other darners and both sexes seen in numbers feeding over river late in afternoon.
Habitat Slow streams with some gradient, often in canyons, bordered by riparian shrubbery, cattails, or bulrushes.
Flight Season CA Apr–Sep, AZ Apr–Oct, NM May–Sep, TX May–Oct.
Distribution Ranges south in uplands to Honduras.
149.1
Giant Darner male—Travis Co., TX, June 2005 (posed)
149.2
Giant Darner female—Colusa Co., CA, July 2000, Rod Miller
Description One of most common and characteristic North American dragonflies. Thorax green, abdomen with black line on upper surface, becoming wider toward tip. Male: Eyes dull greenish, paler below. Face greenish, frons blue above with “bull’s eye” pattern. Thorax bright to dull grass-green. Abdomen with S1 green, S2–6 bright blue, S7–8 duller, often bluish-green, S9–10 mostly dark. Female: Polymorphic, most females with S1–2 green, S3–10 brown above and gray-green on sides. Minority colored much as male, at brightest with S2–10 black above and pale blue on sides. Immature of both sexes with S3–10 reddish violet. Wings uncolored in immatures, with age become increasingly suffused with amber, especially in females.
Similar species Only widespread western darners with bright green thorax in this genus. Giant Darner with much longer abdomen with blue color all across, no black stripe down middle. Female Giant has relatively shorter abdomen but still considerably larger than Common Green, with abdomen clearly longer than wings. Comet Darner with entirely bright red or reddish-brown abdomen, but reddish-purple immature Common Green may be mistaken for female Comet; look for pattern on top of frons. Male Blue-spotted Comet Darner has abdomen distinctly blue-spotted rather than mostly blue, but could be mistaken for Common Green at a glance; differs in same way as female Comet. Amazon Darner most similar but has pale ring at abdomen base, spotted abdomen, blue border of bull’s eye on frons interrupted at front. Among unrelated dragonflies, Great Pondhawk most similar; also large and green but has green-and-black banded abdomen, perches rather than hangs.
150.1
Common Green Darner male—Winneshiek Co., IA, July 2004 (posed)
150.2
Common Green Darner female—Hidalgo Co., TX, November 2005
150.3
Common Green Darner immature male—Columbia Co., FL, April 2005
Natural History Feeding over open areas, sometimes in small swarms and at any time of day, including dusk. Prey mostly small insects but includes mosaic darners and distasteful butterflies. May hover facing into light breeze. Perching tends to be lower than in other darners and in open areas, often in herbaceous vegetation (most darners consistently perch higher in shrubs or trees). Males fly rapidly over open water or along shorelines, mostly from knee to waist height. Copulating pairs fly away from water. Tandem pairs fly low over water and land in open to oviposit (thus, males do not fly into vegetation as some other darners do when looking for females). Oviposits in both upright and floating stems and leaves, dead or alive, also woody branches, usually 1–2 min at each stop. Only North American darner that normally oviposits in tandem, but some females manage by themselves. Single males pay much attention to pairs, trying to land on them; male of pair flutters and female curls abdomen down and closes her wings to deter this. Tandem pairs sometimes seen in flight far from water, perhaps even in migration. Large proportion of populations in most areas migratory. One of the earliest species to appear in the North, well before many resident species have emerged. Mature adults move north in spring throughout West and appear before any can be found emerging. These individuals breed, their larvae develop during summer, and their offspring emerge in late summer, then fly south in immature colors. At times large numbers of immatures in fall in Texas and in Siskiyous and Central Valley of California; also a large flight once at Reno, Nevada, heading toward Sierras. Occasionally found far out at sea off southern California in fall, commonly seen from oil platforms in Gulf of Mexico. These individuals presumably breed somewhere in western Mexico and southwestern United States, their larvae developing during winter and their offspring moving north in spring. Winter breeding definitely known in southern Texas, probably in southern California. Southbound migrants in Texas presumably are heading for eastern Mexico. This scenario is speculative but with strong circumstantial evidence. Minority of individuals all across North are more like other dragonflies, emerging in spring from larvae that overwintered locally. That number should grow with global warming.
Habitat Lakes and all but smallest ponds, also slow streams. Because of migratory nature, liable to be seen anywhere at or away from water.
Flight Season BC Apr–Aug, WA Apr–Dec, OR May–Nov, CA all year, MT May–Aug, AZ Feb–Dec, NM Feb–Dec, NE Apr–Oct, TX all year.
Distribution Extent of both summer range and winter range of migratory populations poorly known; research needed both in middle latitudes and in tropics. South regularly through much of Mexico (rarely farther south) and West Indies, also in East north into southern Canada. Vagrant to Alaska, Bermuda, UK, France, and northeastern Asia.
Alert and fast-flying, many of them rare, local, and with brief flight seasons, clubtails are considered the most exciting group by many dragonfly enthusiasts. Despite their great diversity, their behavior is very poorly known. They are cryptically colored and spend much time at rest and thus are not as obvious as the aerial darners and brightly colored skimmers. Although taking flying prey from a perch as most skimmers, and similarly with worldwide distribution, clubtails are different from skimmers in many ways. Appropriately named, males of most species have a slender abdomen with the terminal segments expanded into a distinct club. This is rare in other families, but note cruisers and clubskimmers. Clubs are smaller in females, and even males of a few species lack this attribute, but all the family should be recognizable by the relatively small, widely separated eyes. Eye color is blue, green, or an intermediate turquoise in all but a few species and can be an important field mark. A typical clubtail has a pale thorax with dark stripes, or what looks like a dark thorax with pale stripes if the dark color is more extensive. The stripes do not correspond exactly with stripes in other families, so for ease of reference, the dark stripes visible from the side are indicated by T plus numbers from front to back.
Stripe T1, on the front of the thorax, is often called the antehumeral stripe, T2 the humeral, T3 the interpleural, and T4 the metapleural stripe. A small proportion of species have a fifth stripe, T5, at the rear edge of the thorax. The abdomen is typically dark with pale rings and/or streaks or spots along the top and spots or rings in side view; thus, complexly patterned.
Spiketails are the only other dragonflies with small, blue to green eyes, and the eyes just about touch in that family. In addition, all are black or brown and yellow and hang vertically when they perch. Most clubtails perch on the ground or on twigs with abdomen inclined upward, curled down a bit at the end, although larger clubtails often perch with drooped abdomen, and many species flat on leaves. Obelisking is common in species that perch in the open, often resulting in the abdomen being held straight up. This is the only dragonfly family that adopts this position besides skimmers. Many species fly with abdomen slightly curved, as when they perch. There is little sexual dimorphism in coloration, but females often have more pale, less dark color on the abdomen. Color change with maturation is commonplace: younger individuals display a yellow pattern that turns to dull gray-green in older ones. The pale ground color is thus rarely important as a field mark except to distinguish some species by their bright green thorax, but specifics of pattern are very important. Geographic variation is evident in some species: individuals in drier and hotter parts of the species’ range paler, with paler markings more extensive than the same species in wetter regions. Finally, clubtails are often much more common than they seem, as may be indicated by the abundance of their exuviae on a river bank or lake shore. World 952, NA 100, West 53.
Thoracic stripes in Columbia Clubtail male—Benton Co., WA, Jul 2006
Sanddragons are medium-sized clubtails with irregularly patterned thorax and slightly developed club in males. With few exceptions, they are the only clubtails with any color in the wings, a spot of brown at base of all wings. Males characteristically have flat, pale cerci that show up prominently at tip of the abdomen. Typically, they are seen along sandy shores, as their larvae are highly modified as sand burrowers. World 68, NA 4, West 2.
151 Gray Sanddragon Progomphus borealis TL 57–61, HW 32–35
Description Pale clubtail of desert streams with little club and distinctive white appendages. Male: Eyes blue-gray, face yellow-orange above, gray below, with dark crossbar. Thorax yellow in front, gray on sides, with broad T1 and T2 partially fused, T1 contacting frontal stripe; T3 represented by spot at lower end, T4 well developed. Abdomen largely black with yellow-orange on top of S1–2, long pale tan triangles on top of S3–6 and ring on base of S7–8, orange apical spots on sides of S8–10. Cerci shining white to pale yellow. Small but intense brown spot at wing bases. Female: Colored as male, but pale markings on abdomen whitish to gray rather than yellow to orange.
151.1
Gray Sanddragon male—Butte Co., CA, June 2004, Netta Smith
151.2
Gray Sanddragon female—Navajo Co., AZ, June 2004, Doug Danforth
Identification Easily distinguished from other clubtails in range if rather flat pale cerci of male seen. Color also distinctive, yellow to orange above on thorax and abdomen and gray on sides of thorax. Abdominal pattern rearward-pointing triangles rather than the rings typical of RINGTAILS that occur with them. See Common Sanddragon in very limited area of overlap.
Natural History Males perch on gravel, rocks, and sandy shores, often with abdomen well elevated at the intense midday temperatures of its habitat. Females relatively rarely seen, usually when in pairs or ovipositing. Both sexes forage from twigs as well as ground when away from water.
Habitat Sandy and rocky streams and rivers, in open or bordered by riparian woodland. Occurs over great elevation range.
Flight Season CA Mar–Oct, AZ Apr–Nov, NM May–Aug, TX May–Sep.
Distribution Ranges south in Mexico to Michoacan and Chihuahua.
152 Common Sanddragon Progomphus obscurus TL 47–53, HW 28–33
Description Rich brown and yellow clubtail of sandy habitats. Male: Eyes blue-gray, becoming olive-green; eyes of mature males can become golden above, perhaps only clubtail so colored. Face dull yellowish with two faint brown stripes crossing it. Thorax yellow with brown T1–4, T1 and T2 thick and partially to entirely fused. Abdomen dark brown with yellow rear-pointing triangles (much like burning candles) on S2–6; cerci cream-colored. Dark brown markings at base of all wings, unusual in family. Female: Colored as male, eyes blue-gray.
Identification Pale appendages on all dark abdomen tip distinctive of both sexes of this heavily marked species, richer yellow and brown than other clubtails of its habitat. Basal wing markings also distinctive in comparison with most species. Barely overlaps with Gray Sanddragon, distinguished by overall browner and more heavily marked thorax (T1 and T2 more likely fused, two instead of one lateral thoracic stripe).
Natural History Males perch on sand beaches of pools, right at edge facing water, or fly low over water in what can be lengthy patrol flights, including hovering over riffles. Also land on rocks on rocky/sandy rivers. Not aggressive in territory defense. Prefer open rather than shrubby banks. Abdomen elevated when perched, on ground or on twigs, and obelisks dramatically at midday. Pairs copulate for up to 15 min on ground or in shrubs near water. Female oviposits on erratic path, taps water once on yard-long approach run; also may drop eggs from above surface. Males have been seen guarding ovipositing females, unusual among clubtails.
152.1
Common Sanddragon male—Caldwell Co., TX, May 2005
152.2
Common Sanddragon female—Washington Co., FL, June 2004
Habitat Sandy woodland streams; sandy lakes in northern part of range. Sometimes on rocky rivers, presumably where sand available among rocks.
Flight Season NM Apr-Jul, NE Jun-Sep, TX Apr-Sep
Distribution Also throughout much of eastern USA north to Wisconsin and Maine, south to northern Florida.
These are large gomphids with conspicuously ringed abdomen in side view and, in males, a moderate club made wider by substantial flanges on edges of S8–9. Oddly, size of flanges varies somewhat in both sexes of each species, so “tails” are more or less “leafy” in different individuals. Presence of small epiproct in male and absence of extended corners on S10 distinguishes it from greater forceptails at close range. Cerci are long, pale, and forceps-like in males, with small tooth on inside; long and white in females. Leaftails are a very diverse group of stream dwellers from Mexico to southern South America. World 46, NA 2, West 2.
153 Five-striped Leaftail Phyllogomphoides albrighti TL 60–63, HW 37–40
Description Large brightly marked clubtail centered in Texas with heavily striped thorax, ringed abdomen, and wide, leaflike flanges on club. Male: Eyes light blue, face cream with three rather faint light brown stripes across it. Thorax almost evenly striped with cream and dark brown. Abdomen with S1–2 mostly cream with brown and black markings, S3–6 mostly black with cream ring at base, pointed to rear on top of segment; S7 white at base, brown at tip; S8–10 dull orange with blackish markings on top of S8–9, black flanges on conspicuously clubbed S8 and less so S9. Female: Colored as male; abdominal club (or leaf) narrower, may be scarcely evident; end segments duller, tan rather than orangey.
153.1
Five-striped Leaftail male—Bexar Co., TX, July 2004
153.2
Five-striped Leaftail female—Bexar Co., TX, July 2004
Identification Most like Four-striped Leaftail, but stripes on side of thorax broader, more prominent, presence of fifth stripe (T5) definitive. Club plus flanges usually wider and more orange, more impressive in male than in Four-striped, best seen from above. Ringed Forceptail also quite similar, with heavily striped thorax but with overall darker abdomen (smaller pale markings); tip may be almost entirely dark (always with pale markings in leaftails). See that species for more details. Other large clubtails in range include GREATER FORCEPTAILS that have browner abdomen without obvious ringed look, although Broad-striped Forceptail has pale spots looking something like rings. Narrow-striped Forceptail has narrower thoracic stripes than any leaftail. Flag-tailed Spinyleg with less-striped thorax, mostly yellow club, and very long hind legs.
Natural History Males fly slowly and steadily up and down river or perch at knee to waist height on vegetation over water; more likely to perch when hot. Abdomen elevated slightly with tip curved down while perching or flying. Also may hover for many seconds over river bank, in and out of vegetation. Both sexes perch in shrubs and trees away from water.
Habitat Large clear streams and rivers with mud- or sand-bottomed pools and riffles, with or without rocks, in open with grassy banks or lined with shrubs and trees.
Flight Season TX May–Oct.
Distribution Ranges south in eastern Mexico to San Luis Potosí.
Description Large brightly marked clubtail centered in Texas with ringed abdomen, variable flanges on club, and thoracic stripes much as those of other clubtails. Male: Eyes light blue, face cream with two faint light brown stripes across it. Thorax cream with T1–4 all well developed. Abdomen mostly black, cream on sides of S1–2; S3–7 with cream rings at base, extending back as point on at least some segments; S8–10 cream to orange, usually paler on sides, typically with distal two-thirds of S8 and often base of S9 black above. Poorly to moderately developed flange on S8 orange to black, rarely developed on S9. Female: Colored as male, but less brown at abdomen tip, mostly cream except for tip of S9 and S10. Club essentially absent, but narrow leaflike projections present on S8, less on S9.
Identification Quite similar to Five-striped Leaftail except for lack of fifth thoracic stripe. Both sexes, female especially, look more strikingly white-ringed than Five-striped Leaftail or Ringed Forceptail, including S8 (base of S8 whitish in Four-striped, orange in Five-striped, dark in Ringed). Ringed look usually definitive. See Five-striped for differences from GREATER FORCEPTAILS.
Natural History Males rest on elevated perches, knee to chest height, at waterside or over water, more at pools than riffles. May spend much time flying over water. Abdomen elevated slightly with tip curved down while perching or flying. Female flies close to shore among dense grass to oviposit; may drop eggs onto water while hovering. Often found in woodland or clearings at some distance from water, perched prominently and horizontally on twigs of shrubs and trees.
Habitat Slow-flowing streams and rivers and large open ponds.
Flight Season NM May–Sep, TX May–Sep.
Distribution Ranges south in eastern Mexico to Coahuila and Nuevo León.
154.1
Four-striped Leaftail male—Travis Co., TX, June 2007, Eric Isley
154.2
Four-striped Leaftail female—Travis Co., TX, July 2004, Greg Lasley
These are moderately large clubtails with moderately expanded abdomen tip. Curved forceps-shaped appendages are characteristic of the male, shared with greater forceptails. Extremely like genus Aphylla, but it differs in S10 not having projecting lower rear corners in males, females with no expansion of abdomen (female Broad-striped Forceptail somewhat similar), and hind femur with fewer and longer teeth. As with greater forceptails, lesser forceptails are diverse from Mexico south through much of South America. World 31, NA 1, West 1.
155 Ringed Forceptail Phyllocycla breviphylla TL 56–60, HW 30–35
Description Large clubtail of Lower Rio Grande Valley with prominently ringed abdomen. Male: Eyes green to turquoise (blue-gray in younger individuals), face cross-barred brown and white. Thorax evenly striped dark brown and white, with faint yellow tint; four equal-sized pale stripes visible from side, otherwise entirely brown. Abdomen with S1–2 brown, S3–7 black with well-defined whitish ring at base, successively wider to rear and occupying from one-third to two-thirds of S7; S8–10 reddish-brown, S8 darker above and with black flange. In darkest individuals, S8–10 much darker, mostly blackish. Female: Colored much as male but no club or flanges, end of abdomen mostly dark.
Identification Although structurally like a GREATER FORCEPTAIL, colored more like a LEAFTAIL because of dark, pale-ringed abdomen. Differs from LEAFTAILS in thoracic pattern, four pale stripes of about equal size rather than the unequal striping of our two LEAFTAILS. Some Five-striped Leaftails, however, have similar thoracic pattern, but abdomen pattern different, Ringed with dorsal triangles extending down on sides while LEAFTAILS with pale dorsal and lateral markings separated by dark line. Ringed has brown abdominal appendages, LEAFTAILS white. Differs from GREATER FORCEPTAILS by more strongly ringed look of darker abdomen.
155.1
Ringed Forceptail male—Hidalgo Co., TX, August 2005, Sid Dunkle
155.2
Ringed Forceptail female—Hidalgo Co., TX, July 2006, Martin Reid
Natural History Males perch on tree leaves and branches at waterside, abdomen usually down at 45° angle or even hanging vertically. Both sexes in trees in woodland near breeding sites.
Habitat Sandy/muddy rivers, including Rio Grande, and streams.
Flight Season TX May–Oct.
Distribution Occurs south through eastern lowlands of Mexico to Nicaragua. Very close to western Mexican Phyllocycla elongata, but breviphylla kept separate pending more research.
A widespread Neotropical group, these large, short-legged clubtails have a long, slender abdomen with not much of a club, but a prominent leaflike projection on either side of S8 enhances the clubtail look. Male cerci are brown, large, and forceps-like, epiproct almost lacking, but lower edge of S10 is pointed on either side, visible in side view; female cerci are yellow to orange. Thorax is dark with vivid pale stripes and the abdomen largely reddish from side and with only weakly ringed look. They are related to lesser forceptails and leaftails of similar size and are often found occurring with them, but they are more likely to occur on open lakes and ponds than other large clubtails. World 24, NA 3, West 3.
156 Broad-striped Forceptail Aphylla angustifolia TL 62–68, HW 36–42
Description Large Texas clubtail with broad pale stripes on thorax and slender, patterned abdomen. Male: Eyes blue-green, face with narrow brown bars crossing it. Thorax looks brown with yellow stripes, as all five dark stripes quite wide, T1–2 partially fused. Basal segments of abdomen brown with yellow on sides and base, forming ringed pattern on S2–4 or S5. End segments more uniformly colored, reddish; become darker brown with age. Narrow orange flange on S8–9. Female: Colored much as male, but abdomen more uniform orange with yellow markings, apparently not becoming as dark with age; flange on S8–9 virtually nonexistent.
Identification Weakly ringed look distinguishes from strongly ringed Ringed Forceptail and LEAFTAILS. May occur with either of the other two greater forceptails. Easily distinguished from Two-striped Forceptail by many more stripes on thorax. Differs from Narrow-striped in broader thoracic stripes, in side view thorax showing about as much pale as dark (more dark than pale in Narrow-striped). Stripes T2 and T4 wider than T1 and T3 in Broad-striped, all about equal in Narrow-striped. Broad-striped has distinctly narrower flanges on S8–9, most easily seen when abdomen way up in air in obelisk position. In both sexes of Broad-striped, basal rings on basal abdominal segments more contrasty and bright yellow than in Narrow-striped, in which all pale markings tend to be orange rather than yellow. Also, end of abdomen, including clubbed area, looks almost entirely orange in Broad-striped with S7 usually distinctly paler, whereas in Narrow-striped same area with distinct black markings on top, including most of S7, that contrast with entirely pale S10. Immature male Broad-striped look rather orange all over, and black apical rings on middle segments show up early in immature Narrow-striped.
Natural History Males perch on twigs and leaves over water, from near ground to waist height or above, rarely on ground. Occasionally fly along shore to new perch, even when not disturbed, but have definite preferred perches. Both sexes feed in open areas nearby.
Habitat Lakes and ponds, pools on rivers and streams.
Flight Season TX May–Oct.
Distribution Ranges south to Guatemala and Belize, also east to southwestern Mississippi.
156.1
Broad-striped Forceptail male—Bexar Co., TX, July 2004
156.2
Broad-striped Forceptail female—Bexar Co., TX, July 2004
157 Narrow-striped Forceptail Aphylla protracta TL 54–66, HW 35–39
Description Large Texas clubtail with narrow pale stripes on thorax and reddish abdomen. Male: Eyes blue-green, face with narrow brown bars crossing it. Thorax brown with five yellowish-white stripes, all of similar width. Abdomen mostly pale yellow to orange with dark brown to black markings along tops of all segments except S10, extending onto sides of segments as apical rings on S3–6. Female: Colored as male but abdomen slightly thicker, club narrower (most of breadth from leaflike flanges).
Identification In this species, entire abdomen looks reddish from side, except for dark apical rings, whereas contrast provided in other forceptails by conspicuous basal yellow markings on at least some segments. Abdomen never with vividly ringed look of some Broad-striped and Ringed Forceptails and LEAFTAILS. See Broad-striped Forceptail for distinction from that species.
Natural History Males perch near or, very commonly, a little away from breeding habitat on branches of shrubs and trees or on open beaches. Fly out over water and return to former perch or move some distance along shore, probably not defending specific territory. Females perch similarly away from water, likely to be encountered in open woodland.
157.1
Narrow-striped Forceptail male—Sonora, Mexico, August 2006, Netta Smith
157.2
Narrow-striped Forceptail female—Sonora, Mexico, September 2004
Habitat Variety of lakes and ponds with mud bottom, much less likely than Broad-striped at running water.
Flight Season TX Apr–Nov.
Distribution Ranges south to Costa Rica.
158 Two-striped Forceptail Aphylla williamsoni TL 71–76, HW 37–43
Description Large southeastern clubtail with vivid pale thoracic stripes. Male: Eyes blue, face with dark brown bars crossing it. Thorax dark brown with three widely spaced yellow stripes, second and fourth light stripes of other forceptails lacking. Abdomen dark brown with yellow markings on sides of basal segments, terminal segments mostly orange. Flanges on S8 bright yellow, contrasting with red-orange sides of segment. Female: Colored as male but more likely to show narrow and incomplete second pale stripe on side of thorax. Abdomen mostly dark, including very narrow flanges on S8.
158.1
Two-striped Forceptail male—Colleton Co., SC, August 2006, Sharon L. Brown
158.2
Two-striped Forceptail female—Sumter Co., GA, July 1998, Robert A. Behrstock
Identification Unmistakably a forceptail from its overall look, distinguished from other forceptails (Broad-striped, Narrow-striped, and Ringed) and other clubtails that occur with it by having only two wide pale stripes visible on each side of thorax and only a single stripe visible on either side of front. Otherwise, looks much like other two greater forceptails, large and dark and with strong reddish cast to posterior abdomen. Bright yellow flanges contrasting with darker sides of S8 in male distinctive. Female abdomen darker (almost black), with smaller pale markings, than in other greater forceptails, going along with overall darker-looking thorax.
Natural History Males perch on twigs and tall reeds at the shore, often at waist height or above, and fly out at other large dragonflies, persistently at their own species. Most perching well above ground, but at least females seen on ground. Patrol flights may cover 60 feet or more. Abdomen slightly curved in flight, sometimes hovers. May remain active at water until dark, unlike most other clubtails. Oviposition may be limited to late in day and is varied, from hovering to rapid flight and from tapping water to dropping eggs from above.
Habitat Slow streams and rivers, canals, and a great variety of sand-bottomed lakes and ponds, among the most ecologically broad-based of American clubtails.
Flight Season TX Jul–Aug.
Distribution Ranges across South from Arkansas to southeastern Virginia.
This small group is primarily distributed in central and eastern North America. Males have rather narrow clubs; females entirely narrow abdomens. Most species are relatively plain and pale, gray, or dull greenish combined with black or dark brown, but a few are brighter, chartreuse and reddish-brown. Front of the thorax is mostly pale with the frontal stripe very narrow or absent in western species. Sides of the thorax are only lightly marked behind humeral stripes. Other distinctions are structural, including long subgenital plates that project downward in females of some species. They are more likely to be found at lakes and ponds than species of related genera. World 7, NA 7, West 4.
159 Horned Clubtail Arigomphus cornutus TL 55–57, HW 32–37
Description Northern clubtail with lightly striped thorax and spectacularly forked appendages. Male: Eyes blue, face pale greenish-tan to yellow. Thorax pale gray-brown or yellow with T1 incomplete at upper end, well-developed T2, very narrow lower end of T3, and barely indicated T4. Abdomen black with pale grayish to yellow dorsal stripe, becoming spearpoints to rear and ending at base of S8; also pale spot on top of S10. S8–9 with rusty edges, contrasting with yellow everywhere else. Cerci and epiproct very wide, like branched horns. Female: Color pattern as male; pale color on sides of abdomen comes up higher.
Identification Male distinguished from co-occurring clubtails by absence of club, very wide branched appendages, and minimal striping on sides of thorax. Most similar of pond clubtails is Jade Clubtail, with less-marked thorax, mostly pale abdomen, and green eyes. Similarly colored Plains and Pronghorn Clubtails have prominent clubs, less-clubbed females distinguished by different thoracic patterns. Other clubtails in its range with minimally expanded abdomen are differently colored. Common Sanddragon brown and yellow, Pale Snaketail quite green, Brimstone Clubtail smaller and bright yellow.
159.1
Horned Clubtail male—Columbia Co., WI, June 1997, David Westover
159.2
Horned Clubtail female—Carver Co., MN, June 2006, David Reed
Natural History Males perch on bare ground or rocks or flat on leaves at waterside or fly back and forth along shore or over water. Females often perch on leaves higher in woodland, where males go when disturbed.
Habitat Lakes, ponds, and slow streams, may be quite muddy.
Flight Season MT Jun–Jul, NE May–Aug.
Distribution Also east through Great Lakes region to southern Quebec.
160 Jade Clubtail Arigomphus submedianus TL 51–55, HW 34–36
Description Eastern prairie clubtail with green eyes and ruddy abdomen tip. Male: Eyes grass-green, face pale greenish-tan. Thorax pale greenish, T1 wide and distinct, T2 narrower, others indistinct or lacking. Abdomen dull greenish-gray to yellowish with dark brown dorsolateral apical triangular markings on S2–6, narrow dark rings between them; S7–9 rich brown, S10 paler orangey, appendages yellow. Female: Colored as male, eyes a bit duller.
Identification Eyes greener than in other pond clubtails, although not much more so than in Bayou Clubtail; differently colored abdomen tip easily distinguishes these two. Most like Stillwater Clubtail except for eye color but appearing a bit paler overall, T1 distinctly wider than T2, reduced marking on sides of thorax. Of female pond clubtails in West, S9 obviously longer than S8 only in Jade. Other superficially similar clubtails in range include Flag-tailed Spinyleg, with thicker T2; middle abdominal segments white but with dark markings extensive, almost continuous; and much longer hind legs.
160.1
Jade Clubtail male—Bastrop Co., TX, May 2003, Greg Lasley
160.2
Jade Clubtail female—Holmes Co., MS, May 2005
Natural History Perches on or near ground, males at water’s edge. Forages in open and semiopen areas near woods.
Habitat Large mud-bottomed lakes, sloughs, and canals.
Flight Season NE May–Sep, TX Mar–Aug.
Distribution Ranges east to Michigan, Kentucky, and Alabama.
161 Stillwater Clubtail Arigomphus lentulus TL 48–58, HW 29–36
Description Eastern prairie clubtail with blue eyes and ruddy abdomen tip. Male: Eyes blue to turquoise, face pale greenish. Thorax pale greenish with T1 and T2 prominent, sometimes partially fused; T3 and T4 faintly indicated. Abdomen yellowish-green at base, duller yellow-gray on S3–6, S2–6 with apical dorsolateral blackish blotches forming somewhat ringed pattern. S7–10 rusty, in some individuals darker above and some yellowish on sides; S8 often darker than S9. Appendages pale yellow. Female: Colored as male but dark markings on abdomen less extensive.
161.1
Stillwater Clubtail male—Gonzales Co., TX, June 2005
161.2
Stillwater Clubtail female—Harris Co., TX, May 2007, Martin Reid
Identification Most similar to other pond clubtails with which it occurs. Both sexes differ from quite similar Jade Clubtail by more heavily striped thorax; latter also has quite green eyes. Differs from Bayou Clubtail by more reddish abdomen tip (brown in Bayou) and wider T1–2. In female Jade, S9 slightly longer than S8, about same length in Stillwater and Bayou. Both sexes colored somewhat like Russet-tipped Clubtail, but that species has sides of thorax prominently striped.
Natural History Males rest on shore or grass stems or twigs facing water.
Habitat Open muddy ponds and other still waters.
Flight Season TX Mar–Jun.
Distribution Also east through Arkansas to Indiana and western Kentucky.
162 Bayou Clubtail Arigomphus maxwelli TL 50–54, HW 29–32
Description East Texas clubtail with blackish abdomen tip. Male: Eyes green to turquoise, face pale yellow to whitish. Thorax gray-green with narrow but well-defined T1–4, T3 and T4 sometimes incomplete. Abdomen dull pale yellow with dark brown markings covering much of sides of S2 and forming irregular apical rings on S3–6; S7–9 very dark brown, S10 light brown, appendages yellowish. Club distinct but not very wide. Female: Colored as male but paler, dark markings on abdomen smaller, tip lighter brown.
Identification Much like Stillwater Clubtail but with darker abdomen tip in both sexes, greener eyes. Thoracic stripes T1 and T2 narrow and well separated in Bayou, T1 wider and closer to T2, sometimes partially fused, in Stillwater. More prominent thoracic stripes and darker abdomen tip easily distinguish from somewhat similarly colored Jade Clubtail. Slightly more contrast between greener thorax and yellower abdomen than in other pond clubtails. Female somewhat like Russet-tipped Clubtail but less heavily marked thorax and more heavily marked abdomen.
162.1
Bayou Clubtail male—Holmes Co., MS, May 2005
162.2
Bayou Clubtail female—Hardin Co., TX, May 2006, John C. Abbott
Natural History Males perch on ground or rocks at edge of water bodies, move into woodland when not at water.
Habitat Shallow ponds such as borrow pits and slow-flowing ditches in open or woodland edge, more likely at streams than other pond clubtails.
Flight Season TX May–Jun.
Distribution Also east to Alabama and north to southern Illinois.
Pond Clubtails - male appendages
This constitutes the largest genus of odonates in North America, although much less diverse in the West than in the East. It is widespread in temperate North America and Eurasia. Many species are locally distributed and often quite uncommon, notwithstanding the name of the group, but most may be common or even abundant in the right habitat during the peak of an often brief flight season. In some species, much of spring emergence at one place occurs over at most a few days. Most species are on streams and rivers but with quite varied substrates; a few are found on sandy lakes and ponds. Some members of this genus are known for the striking “roller-coaster flights” they perform, as if rapidly drawing a series of shallow U figures in the air. I have seen this in common clubtails and hanging clubtails, and it may be more widespread in the family. Species vary greatly in size (some half the bulk of others) and pattern, although not so much in color. Most change color with age with pale areas of thorax bright yellow or yellow-green when young and gray in old age, less contrasty with dark areas. Yellow color on the abdomen remains through maturity, however. Dark colors range from brown to black, even within the same species, perhaps also a function of age (black = young, brown = old). Because of this, descriptions of color patterns may use “dark” and “pale” instead of trying to pin down the variable colors.
This genus has been divided into subgenera, although authors differ in which ones they recognize. The species below are grouped in these subgenera, with an attempt for adjacency of related species. Subgenera I recognize in the West include Gomphurus, Hylogomphus, and Gomphus; there is still doubt of the validity of another subgenus, Phanogomphus, that has been used in recent publications. Gomphurus are typically large species with well-developed clubs and long legs. Hylogomphus are the smallest members of the genus, with well-developed clubs like miniature Gomphurus. Gomphus species are more varied in size and shape, most without well-developed clubs and with legs shorter than those of Gomphurus. Other characters are in wing venation, structure of penis and hamules, and larval morphology. Individual species of one group can look much like species of another. World 51, NA 38, West 16.
Table 6 Common/Hanging Clubtail (Gomphus, Stylurus) Identification
This may be a catch-all subgenus, as the species vary from moderately clubbed to scarcely clubbed, from very brightly marked to very dull. They are united by features of venation, genitalic structure, and larval morphology but may yet prove to be not so closely related. Some members of this group are the only common clubtails that inhabit lakes and ponds. None is as big and showy as a Gomphurus, although Pronghorn and Pacific Clubtails could easily be mistaken for one. Mating pairs fly away from water, sometimes not far, for extended copulation at rest. The duller species of the group—Lancet, Ashy, and Dusky—have all been seen in the peculiar roller-coaster flight, a series of shallow concave parabolas that may go on for several seconds. The group occurs all across North America and Eurasia, with 29 species.
163 Lancet Clubtail Gomphus exilis TL 39–48, HW 23–27
Description Small drab clubtail, abundant in East and barely reaching West. Male: Eyes blue, face yellow. Thorax with T1–2 wide, almost touching; T3–4 also wide, minimal pale stripe between them; narrow T5 also present. Abdomen brown to black with dorsal pale spearpoints on S3–8, each mark with point almost reaching end of segment; S9 with wide yellow stripe above, S10 with bit of yellow; sides of S8–9 with wavy yellow margins. Common name from downward-projecting blade on cerci. Female: Colored much as male, slightly less yellow at end of abdomen.
Identification Only small common clubtail in its range in West with slender abdomen in both sexes. Both sexes differ from Ashy and Dusky Clubtails in smaller size, slightly separated T2 and T3 (fused in Ashy and Dusky), much yellow on top of S9 (rarely matched by other species). In hand, lancet-shaped cercus distinctive. Female differs from Pronghorn Clubtail by more slender abdomen, duller overall patterning, and presence of T5.
Natural History Males perch on ground adjacent to water, facing it, with no over-water patrols. Both sexes perch on sandy roads and other open substrates near breeding habitats, even in tiny clearings in woods; also up on leaves, but seldom far from ground. Females oviposit by flying rapidly over water, tapping every few feet, often perching between bouts.
Habitat Wide, including slow streams, ponds, sandy lakes, and even bogs. Appears to be more restricted to ponds in northern part of range.
Flight Season MO Apr–Jul.
Distribution Ranges through much of East to southern Quebec and Nova Scotia, lacking from most of Florida.
163.1
Lancet Clubtail male—Early Co., GA, April 2006, Giff Beaton
163.2
Lancet Clubtail female—Floyd Co., GA, May 2006
Description Small, slender clubtail of southeastern part of region. Male: Eyes blue, face pale. Thorax with T1–2 separated by very narrow pale line, T3–4 wide with diffuse pale area between them. Abdomen with fairly wide dorsal stripe broken into spearpoints on S3–8, shortest on S8; S9 with pale dorsal stripe, S10 with small pale spot. Sides of S8–9 broadly pale-margined. Female: Colored as male, more yellow visible on sides of abdomen. Pale stripe on S8 narrow to absent, on S9–10 usually conspicuous.
Identification A bit smaller than similarly colored Ashy Clubtail (at its smallest in east Texas, where they overlap), its most likely associate, and distinguished by separated T3 and T4 (fused in Ashy). Also quite similar to Pronghorn Clubtail, a slightly larger species with substantially wider club in male and more contrasty pattern and more yellow at end of abdomen in female.
Natural History Both sexes perch on sandy ground or low in vegetation. Most common in spring.
Habitat Sandy ponds and lakes with mud bottoms and slow streams, in or out of woodland.
Flight Season TX Mar–Sep.
Distribution Also widely in Arkansas and Louisiana.
164.1
Oklahoma Clubtail male—San Jacinto Co., TX, April 2004, Greg Lasley
164.2
Oklahoma Clubtail female—Bastrop Co., TX, May 2005
Description Slender and rather dull brown and whitish clubtail, common in East and extending into east Texas. Male: Eyes blue, face pale. Thorax with T1–2 wide, fused; T3–4 wide, fused; and T5 well developed; really a dark thorax with pale stripes. Abdomen dark brown to black with pale spearpoints covering much of middle segments, reduced to less than half length by S8. Poorly defined yellowish markings along sides of S8–9. Female: Colored as male, but spearpoints extending entire length of segments, more than half on S8; S9–10 mostly pale.
Identification One of group of common clubtails with rather dull coloration, very wide dark thoracic stripes, and scarcely any indication of club known to overlap only in southeastern Manitoba, where difficult to distinguish. Extremely similar Dusky Clubtail a bit darker, with different appendages. Dusky with prominent lateral tooth on cerci viewed from above, Ashy angled but without tooth. In side view, Dusky also has prominent downward-projecting tooth on each cercus, Ashy lacks it. Females easily distinguished by subgenital plate, scarcely evident in Ashy and with two pointed lobes that extend almost one-third length under S8 in Dusky. Ashy distinguished from Lancet Clubtail by obviously larger size, different appendages. Lancet with downward-projecting blade on cercus in lateral view, Ashy without. Subgenital plate in female Lancet with two obvious pointed lobes.
165.1
Ashy Clubtail male—Floyd Co., GA, April 2006, Marion Dobbs
165.2
Ashy Clubtail female—San Jacinto Co., TX, May 1998, Robert A. Behrstock
Natural History Males perch on sand, rocks, or logs at shore. Away from water usually on rocks, sand, or shrubs.
Habitat Slow-flowing wooded streams and small rivers, also edges of large wave-beaten lakes. Oviposits by tapping water near bank at intervals of a few inches.
Flight Season TX Mar–May.
Distribution Also east to southern Quebec and New Hampshire, south to Gulf Coast; absent from Illinois.
166 Dusky Clubtail Gomphus spicatus TL 46–50, HW 26–30
Description Slender clubtail, dull in maturity, that barely enters western region. Male: Eyes blue, face pale. Thorax with S1–2 wide, fused; S3–4 wide, mostly fused. Abdomen with narrow pale spear-points shortening to rear, half length on S7, very short on S8; S9–10 dark. Margins of narrow S9 faintly yellow. Female: Colored as male but dorsal spearpoints slightly more conspicuous, as is yellow margin on S9; also pale dorsal stripe on S10.
Identification From very similar Ashy Clubtail (overlap in southeastern Manitoba) by different appendages. Dusky has prominent tooth on outer surfaces of cerci, also prominent tooth beneath, visible from side; Ashy has neither. Lancet Clubtail similarly colored but much smaller. No other dull clubtail with slender abdomen in its range. Females differ by subgenital plates (see illustrations).
166.1
Dusky Clubtail male—Litchfield Co., CT, June 2004, Giff Beaton
166.2
Dusky Clubtail female—Price Co., WI, June 1997, David Westover
Natural History Males perch on ground and low vegetation, including water lilies, at edge of water, immatures and females in woodland clearings nearby. Usually perch on or near ground.
Habitat Clear-water lakes with open sandy shores or dense grass beds along shore; also large ponds, including bog ponds. Sometimes slow streams flowing into lakes.
Flight Season WI May–Jul.
Distribution Throughout Northeast from Ontario and Nova Scotia south to Indiana and New Jersey.
167 Sulphur-tipped Clubtail Gomphus militaris TL 47–53, HW 28–33
Description Small clubtail of Texas and surrounding states with moderate club and more yellow than similar species. Male: Eyes blue, face pale. Thorax with T1–2 just separated, T3–4 moderate width with well-defined pale area between them. Abdomen with usual spear-points, shortening on S7 and half segment length on S8. S9 with broad pale stripe, S10 with narrow stripe. In arid western part of range, dark markings on club much reduced, so most of S8 and all of S9 yellow. Female: Colored as male, more yellow on sides of abdomen, with pale areas exceeding dark lateral stripe. S9 with yellow dorsal and lateral stripes almost touching, S10 with much yellow.
167.1
Sulphur-tipped Clubtail male—Starr Co., TX, June 2005
167.2
Sulphur-tipped Clubtail female—Bastrop Co., TX, May 2005
Identification Pale color more extensive, especially at abdomen tip, than in most other clubtails occurring with it. Club narrower than in somewhat larger Cocoa, Plains, and Tamaulipas Clubtails and similar-sized Pronghorn Clubtail and with more yellow on club. Can look fairly much like Pronghorn, color patterns just about overlap. Look for pale streak on outside of femur in Sulphur-tipped. Sulphur-tipped also with much more yellow than in narrow-abdomened Oklahoma Clubtail found at same ponds. Could be confused with equally brightly yellow Flag-tailed Spinyleg, but that species larger, with narrower thoracic stripes, prominent yellow-orange club, and longer legs.
Natural History Males perch on sandy shores and in low vegetation at water and fly out and back at intervals; females on similar perches away from water.
Habitat Small to medium slow-flowing rivers and large open ponds and lakes.
Flight Season NM May–Sep, NE Jun–Jul, TX Mar–Aug.
Distribution Ranges south in Mexico to Nuevo León.
168 Pacific Clubtail Gomphus kurilis TL 48–57, HW 28–34
Description Brightly marked medium-sized clubtail of Pacific coast and mountains. Male: Eyes blue, face pale. Thorax with T1–2 wide, almost fused; T3 absent, T4 well developed. Abdomen black with pale dorsal spearpoints on S2–7; pale triangle on S8 just reaches half segment; remainder black above, but S9 variable, from black to fair-sized dorsal triangle. Tiny basal lateral spots on S4–7, large yellow lateral spots on S8–9 do not reach end of segment. Female: Colored as male, with a bit more extensive yellow and less indication of club.
Identification Only other common clubtail almost in its range is Pronghorn Clubtail, with side stripe on thorax (T3+4) wide and outer sides of tibiae yellow. Lack of T3 on Pacific quite distinctive, leaving wide pale area in its place. Colored much like Grappletail but larger, with thicker abdomen and more obvious club, and with pattern very different. Colored very differently from green SNAKETAILS and Gray Sanddragon that occur with it. When flying low over water, could be mistaken for CLUBSKIMMER, but extensive yellow markings on abdomen distinctive.
168.1
Pacific Clubtail male—Siskiyou Co., CA, June 2004
168.2
Pacific Clubtail female—Siskiyou Co., CA, June 2004
Natural History Males perch in shrubs or on rocks or ground at breeding sites, also fly slowly up and down stream just out from shore. Both sexes at times common in nearby upland habitats, sallying after insects from the ground or low vegetation. Copulating pairs form at water, fly into trees, and perch at head height and above. Females oviposit by tapping sporadically in pools at edge of shore vegetation. Where common, synchronized emergence of this species leads to density of individuals rarely encountered in other western odonates; thousands seen at Klamath River in northern California.
Habitat Streams and rivers with good currents, sandy to muddy bottoms. Also occurs in large ponds and lakes and may be limited to them in northern part of range and high in Sierras.
Flight Season WA Jun–Aug, OR May–Jul, CA Mar–Aug.
169 Pronghorn Clubtail Gomphus graslinellus TL 47–53, HW 29–34
Description Small mostly northern clubtail with bright markings and moderate club in males. Male: Eyes blue, face pale. Thorax with T1–2 wide, narrowly separated; T3–4 wide, partially fused. Abdomen black with wide pale dorsal stripe on S1–7, pointed on each segment and almost reaching tip; shorter triangle on S8, less than half segment; S9 with wide, S10 with narrow pale stripe. Margins of S8–9 entirely yellow. Female: Colored as male but more yellow visible on sides of abdomen, most of S10 yellow above. Eastern populations with thoracic stripes more thoroughly fused.
Identification Not known to overlap with other common clubtails in Northwest, but perhaps does with Columbia Clubtail, differing by lack of T5, smaller size, and substantially smaller club. Approaches range of Pacific Clubtail and similar in color, differing in wide middle stripe on side of thorax (narrow in Pacific) and yellow outer surfaces of tibiae. Farther east, can easily be mistaken for very similar Plains Clubtail; see that species for details of distinction. More brightly marked, with wider club, than other small clubtails of subgenus Gomphus up and down Great Plains, much darker overall than somewhat similarly shaped Sulphur-tipped. Also smaller and shorter-legged, with smaller club, than larger Gomphurus such as Cobra, Cocoa, Midland, and Ozark Clubtails with which it occurs. These four all have more dark than light on side of S8, and all but Cocoa have entirely dark tibiae.
169.1
Pronghorn Clubtail male—Montgomery Co., AR, May 2006 (posed)
169.2
Pronghorn Clubtail female—Yakima Co., WA, June 2005
Natural History Both sexes perch typically in open on ground or rocks or in weeds or low shrubs. Assume obelisk posture at midday. May fly up and down pools and riffles on occasion, but do not hover at length over riffles as some larger clubtails do and may also search for mates away from water. Females oviposit close to bank by tapping water at irregular intervals a few feet apart, depositing 30–50 eggs with each tap.
Habitat Slow-flowing sandy or muddy streams with or without rocks and in or out of woodland, also medium to large lakes.
Flight Season BC May–Jul, WA Jun–Jul, MT Jun–Jul, NE May–Aug, TX Mar–Jun.
Distribution Ranges east to southern Ontario, Kentucky, and Arkansas.
Only one species in the West is typical of this subgenus, which features brightly patterned species with prominent clubs, all of them smaller than similarly shaped Gomphurus and usually with larger clubs than any of subgenus Gomphus. The six rather similar species are restricted to eastern North America.
170 Banner Clubtail Gomphus apomyius TL 35–37, HW 23–25
Description Small early-spring clubtail of east Texas with prominent yellow-sided club in male. Male: Eyes turquoise, face cream. Thorax with T1–2 well developed, almost touching, T3–4 also well developed with pale area between them rather narrow and obscured. Abdomen black with pale dorsal stripe on S1–2, narrow basal triangles on S3–7; large basal spot on sides of S3, tiny spots on S4–6, basal spot and margin on S7, and entire sides of widely clubbed S8–9 yellow. Female: Color pattern about as male, eyes somewhat bluer; minimal or no club.
Identification Only quite small clubtail with wide black, yellow-sided club in West; no other species in east Texas anything like it. Most similar Pronghorn Clubtail may not overlap with it, recognized by much more yellow on top of abdomen, including all of S9. Sulphur-tipped Clubtail has even more yellow on abdomen, as well as narrow club. Very wide extent of black cerci also distinctive for male Banner. Female, with scarcely any club, distinctive in small size and bright markings, including bold yellow spots on sides as well as top of middle abdominal segments. Both Pronghorn and Sulphur-tipped have more extensive yellow markings along sides of abdomen. Female Oklahoma Clubtail, other small clubtail in range, mostly brown, with subdued pattern.
Natural History Males perch on leaves and rocks at streamside or hover over riffles with abdomen raised and club prominent. Females on leaves in woods nearby. Quite uncommon in region.
Habitat Small woodland streams.
Flight Season TX Mar–Apr.
Distribution Also Arkansas and Mississippi east to New Jersey.
170.1
Banner Clubtail male—Richmond Co., GA, May 2005, Giff Beaton
170.2
Banner Clubtail female—Cumberland Co., NJ, May 2004, Jim Bangma
The 13 species of this subgenus, restricted to North America, are among the favorites of clubtail aficionados. They are relatively large and strikingly marked, with a conspicuous to very conspicuous club in males (somewhat smaller in females) and long hind legs. They seem to have a predilection for butterflies, and perhaps the long legs aid in the capture of large prey. Species of other subgenera tend to be less clubbed, although—frustratingly—there are well-clubbed species in both of the other subgenera. Thus, when considering a Gomphurus in the West, one must also think about species in subgenera Gomphus (Pronghorn Clubtail) and Hylogomphus (Banner Clubtail) as well as species in the hanging clubtail genus Stylurus (Elusive and Riverine Clubtails).
171 Midland Clubtail Gomphus fraternus TL 48–55, HW 28–33
Description Black northern Gomphurus with moderate club. Male: Eyes greenish, face yellow. Thorax dull yellow with dark frontal stripe straight-edged; T1–2 wide, partially fused; T3 as a half-line, and T4 as a line. Abdomen yellow at base with brown dorsolateral stripes on S2; S3–10 black with yellow spearpoints on S3–9, shortening to rear and small on S8–9; S7–9 with large yellow spots on sides covering half of S7 and S8 and all of S9. Female: Colored as male.
Identification Plains Clubtail, another Gomphurus in its range, quite similar but dark areas on abdomen tip brown rather than black (also brown in some Manitoba Midland), two well-defined stripes on side of thorax rather than often incomplete fine lines of Midland. Midland barely overlaps on eastern edge of plains with the quite similar Cobra Clubtail, which has abdomen tip black, but latter has even wider club with less yellow on sides (none on S7, small spot on S8). Smaller Pronghorn Clubtail has more yellow on top of abdomen tip, with S9 all yellow above, and stronger stripes on side of thorax. All other clubtails in range have less-developed clubs.
Natural History Both sexes perch on roads and sandy banks. Males also fly rapidly over riffles, hovering from time to time. Often feeds on other dragonflies, including the very predatory Eastern Pondhawk. Females oviposit in rapids and breaking waves, in rapid straight flight.
171.1
Midland Clubtail male—St. Clair Co., MI, June 2005, Allen Chartier
171.2
Midland Clubtail female—Columbia Co., WI, June 1997, David Westover
Habitat Clean streams with moderate current and rock and mud substrates, also large, wave-washed lakes in northern part of range.
Flight Season WI May–Aug.
Distribution Ranges east to Maine, south to Tennessee and North Carolina.
Comments Populations on Red and Assiniboine Rivers in southern Manitoba named as separate subspecies G. f. manitobanus, smaller and paler than elsewhere, with yellow stripe down tibiae and prominent dorsal yellow spots on S9–10. These attributes may occur elsewhere on Great Plains.
172 Ozark Clubtail Gomphus ozarkensis TL 50–53, HW 29–32
Description Dark brown Gomphurus with moderate club and limited distribution. Male: Eyes turquoise, face yellow. Thorax with S1–2 wide and fused, S3–4 wide and almost fused. Abdomen with narrow yellow dorsal stripe, half-length on S7 and quarter-length on S8. Club moderate with yellow lateral spots small and basal on S8, entire length of segment on S9. Female: Colored as male but slightly more yellow on sides of abdomen, including S8; dorsal stripe on S7 may be full length, and S10 with some yellow above.
Identification The few common clubtails in its range include one species with similarly fused thoracic stripes. Pronghorn Clubtail superficially similar but smaller and with more yellow on abdomen, including bright yellow sides of S8–9 and top of S9. Also similar are two slightly larger species with lateral thoracic stripes separate. Cocoa Clubtail has end of abdomen mostly brown instead of black, and Cobra Clubtail more vividly black and yellow and with black lines across face. Cobra also lacks small yellow dorsal spot on S8 present in Ozark.
Natural History Males perch on rocks on shore or in river much of day but also fly out over river and hover close to water facing prevailing wind. Females also perch near river, sometimes as easy to find as males, also on ground and low vegetation in clearings away from water.
172.1
Ozark Clubtail male—Clark Co., AR, May 2006
172.2
Ozark Clubtail female—Clark Co., AR, May 2006
Habitat Medium to large rivers with alternating pools and riffles, gravel and silt to sandy bottoms, mostly in forested areas.
Flight Season AR May–Jun.
173 Cocoa Clubtail Gomphus hybridus TL 50–52, HW 27–29
Description Brown southeastern Gomphurus with moderate club. Male: Eyes blue-gray, face dull yellow. Thorax yellow with wide and almost fused T1–2, well-developed T3–4 with space between them somewhat grayish. Abdomen yellow at base with blackish dorsolateral stripes on S1–2, S3–6 black with continuous yellow dorsal spearpoints; S7–10 becoming more brownish with yellow spear-point on S7, small basal spot on S8, yellowish markings on sides of S8, and much yellow on side of S9. Female: Colored as male, slightly more yellow on sides of abdomen.
Identification Overlaps with several other Gomphurus clubtails, some of them only slightly. Differs from Plains by brown versus black markings, from brown form of Cobra in Texas by blue rather than green eyes and smaller club, from Gulf Coast by smaller size, smaller club, and brown and yellow rather than black and yellow coloration. No other clubtail in range similar enough to Gomphurus to be confusing.
173.1
Cocoa Clubtail male—Howard Co., AR, April 2006, Mike Dillon
173.2
Cocoa Clubtail female—Floyd Co., GA, April 2006, Marion Dobbs
Natural History Both sexes perch on ground or in vegetation (generally low) at and near water. Males usually on sandy and gravelly beaches.
Habitat Sand- and silt-bottomed rivers.
Flight Season TX Apr–May.
Distribution Also across the Southeast to southern Indiana and North Carolina, absent from most of Florida.
174 Plains Clubtail Gomphus externus TL 52–59, HW 30–33
Description Widely distributed brown Gomphurus with moderate club. Male: Eyes turquoise, face yellowish. Thorax yellowish-green with T1–2 wide and almost fused, T3–4 wide and close together. Abdomen yellow at base with wide brown dorsolateral stripes on S2, S3–7 black to brown with narrow yellow spearpoints above, widening to rectangle that covers S9; S8–9 also with entirely yellow edges; S10 mostly brown with yellow dorsal spot. Some individuals with dark markings more restricted, thoracic stripes narrower and more yellow on abdomen tip. Narrower thoracic stripes in northwestern part of range. Female: Colored as male.
Identification Most similar to member of another subgenus, Pronghorn Clubtail, and much overlap in range. In fact, Pronghorn essentially identical in color pattern, although very slightly smaller. Best mark may be edge of S8, usually entirely yellow in Pronghorn but with some dark markings in Plains. Also, look at hind legs. When back along body, they extend to or beyond middle of S2 in Plains, not to middle in Pronghorn. Easily distinguished in hand by male appendages (epiproct wider than narrow cerci in Plains, same width as “horned” cerci in Pronghorn) and female subgenital plate (each half long and pointed in Plains, short and wide in Pronghorn); see illustrations. Also, slender arms of epiproct of Plains rather dramatically curved upward in side view, whereas thicker epiproct of Pronghorn less curved; may be visible in close view. Size difference may help once familiar with species. In color pattern less similar to other Gomphurus with which it might occur because of extensive yellow on top of S8–9 (very little or none in Cobra and Cocoa) and very close T3 and T4 (well separated in Cobra). See Tamaulipan Clubtail, which approaches edge of range of Plains. Sulphur-tipped Clubtail smaller with greater extent of yellow on abdomen tip and much yellow on femora (black in Plains).
174.1
Plains Clubtail male—Caldwell Co., TX, May 2005
174.2
Plains Clubtail female—Gonzales Co., TX, May 2005
Natural History Males perch on ground near water with abdomen elevated and occasionally fly long beats over river. Usually perch flat on leaves when away from water. Copulating pairs in low vegetation near water. Females oviposit by straight flight over river, tapping water at intervals. One female produced 5100 eggs when abdomen dipped in glass of water.
Habitat Sandy or muddy streams and rivers with moderate current, open grassy or wooded banks.
Flight Season MT Jun–Aug, NM Mar–Jul, NE May–Sep, TX Mar–Jul.
Distribution Ranges east to Wisconsin, Ohio, and Kentucky.
175 Tamaulipan Clubtail Gomphus gonzalezi TL 46–50, HW 31
Description Brown Gomphurus of Lower Rio Grande Valley with moderate club. Male: Eyes blue-gray, face yellowish. Thorax yellow with well-developed T1–4, narrow T5. Abdomen yellow on S1–2 with wide black dorsolateral stripes; black on S3–6 with white dorsal spearpoints covering most of segment; S7–10 yellow again with smudgy dark brown dorsolateral markings, yellow extending most of length of segments on top and sides. Female: Colored as male, slightly less yellow on tops of terminal abdominal segments and more extensive white spotting on sides of middle segments.
Identification No other member of Gomphurus subgenus known within its range. Closest in appearance would be Sulphur-tipped in Gomphus subgenus, which is smaller, with narrower club (S9 longer than S8, the reverse in Tamaulipan), and much more yellow at abdomen tip. Most similar to Plains Clubtail of Texas hill country (not known to overlap in range), which is a bit larger and blacker and lacks T5 entirely. Other clubtails that might occur with it are very different FORCEPTAILS, LEAFTAILS, RINGTAILS, and SANDDRAGONS.
Natural History Males perch on rocks or overhanging vegetation at and near water.
Habitat Found at both clear, spring-fed rocky rivers and muddy channels.
Flight Season TX Apr–May.
Distribution Rarely encountered in United States, even at localities where previously found. Ranges south in coastal Mexico to San Luis Potosí.
175.1
Tamaulipan Clubtail male—Starr Co., TX, April 1998, Blair Nikula (posed)
175.2
Tamaulipan Clubtail female—Hidalgo Co., TX, May 2006, David Hanson (posed)
Description Black Gomphurus of limited distribution in Northwest interior with wide club and pruinosity. Male: Eyes blue, face yellow. Thorax yellow with all five stripes well developed, T2–3 very close and almost fused. Abdomen yellow at base with wide dark dorsolateral stripes on S1–2. S3–10 black, S3–6 with yellow spearpoints and S7–9 with wider, brighter yellow triangles above; S7–9 with much yellow on sides. Thorax and abdomen base becoming pruinose and somewhat duller with age. Female: Colored as male but not pruinose.
Identification No other common clubtail known from same localities, but both Pacific and Pronghorn Clubtails occur nearby. Both have smaller clubs, Pacific with only one stripe on side of thorax (lacks T3) and Pronghorn substantially smaller. Both lack T5 stripe characteristic of Columbia.
Natural History Both sexes perch on ground or rocks or on dead twigs of shrubs. Males most commonly seen in sagebrush and other shrubs but also fly out over water at intervals. Not found far from water in its arid habitat.
Habitat Good-sized sandy to muddy rivers in open shrub steppe or bordered by riparian woodland.
Flight Season WA Jun–Aug, OR Jun–Aug.
Distribution Known only from lower reaches of Yakima River in Washington and John Day and Malheur Rivers in Oregon.
176.1
Columbia Clubtail male—Benton Co., WA, July 2006, Netta Smith
176.2
Columbia Clubtail female—Benton Co., WA, July 2005
Description Eastern Gomphurus with wide club like cobra’s hood. Variable in color, northern populations with abdomen black, Texas populations with abdomen brown. Northern male: Eyes green, face yellow with dark horizontal lines. Thorax with T1 very wide but interrupted above, T2 narrower; T3–4 narrow but prominent, well separated. Abdomen with narrow dorsal stripe on S3–7 extending only half length on most segments, thus quite interrupted; looks like series of pointed dashes. Lateral yellow spots on club small and basal on S8, large and full length on S9. Northern female: Colored as male but more yellow on sides of abdomen, dorsal stripe less interrupted. Texas male and female: Differ in browner coloration of dark markings, especially on abdomen, and more extensive yellow markings. Pale dorsal line almost continuous on middle abdominal segments; club distinctly brown to reddish brown, with base of S7 entirely yellow.
177.1
Cobra Clubtail eastern male—Juneau Co., WI, July 2003, Mike Reese
177.2
Cobra Clubtail Texas male—Gonzales Co., TX, May 2005
177.3
Cobra Clubtail Texas female—Gonzales Co., TX, May 2005
Identification On east edge of plains, black populations occur with several other well-clubbed species. Ozark Clubtail very similar but with wider thoracic stripes, T3–4 fused, and tiny spot of yellow on top of S8. Plains Clubtail slightly smaller and browner overall, with T3–4 broader and club with more yellow on sides, S9 all yellow above. Pronghorn Clubtail distinctly smaller and with much yellow on top of club. Brown populations in Texas occur with latter two and still other species. Plains Clubtail more similarly colored in Texas but still distinguished by thoracic stripes. Gulf Coast Clubtail quite black, much less yellow on S7. Cocoa Clubtail, occurring just east of hill country, differs in having blue eyes, narrower club. Sulphur-tipped Clubtail considerably smaller, with more heavily striped thorax, smaller club with more yellow on it.
Natural History Males perch on shore of river with abdomen elevated, then fly beats up and down. Usually fly a few feet above water, slow when facing wind and may hover in slight breeze. Both sexes typically perch on leaves with abdomen inclined downward. In numbers in favorable habitat. Copulating pairs perch in tall weeds, shrubs, and trees at head height and above. Females oviposit by flying rapidly, sometimes far from shore, and tapping water at intervals to release eggs.
Habitat Rivers and streams with slow to moderate current and sandy or silty bottoms, with or without rocks.
Flight Season NE May–Jul, TX May–Aug.
Distribution Ranges east to Atlantic coast, from New Brunswick to Georgia.
178 Gulf Coast Clubtail Gomphus modestus TL 55–63, HW 34–37
Description Large black southern Gomphurus with prominent club. Male: Eyes green; face yellow, crossed by two fine black lines. Thorax prominently striped; T1–2 wide, almost touching, T3–4 narrower but still well developed. Abdomen with narrow yellow dorsal stripe widening on S7, small basal spot or not on S8, no black on S9–10; prominent club, with large yellow lateral spots on S8–9, not reaching tip of segments. Female: Colored as male.
178.1
Gulf Coast Clubtail male—Carroll Co., TN, June 1999, Ken Tennessen
178.2
Gulf Coast Clubtail female—San Jacinto Co., TX, May 2007, Martin Reid
Identification All other Gomphurus in its range—Cobra, Cocoa, and Plains Clubtails—have much more brownish abdomens and are at least a bit smaller. T1 joins black on top of thorax in Gulf Coast, separated from it in Cobra. No other common clubtail in Texas anything like this species. Superficially similar to Black-shouldered Spinyleg but differs in quite different thoracic pattern, also much more yellow on top of club in Spinyleg.
Natural History Males perch along streams on bank or leaves. Quite uncommon.
Habitat Large, slow-flowing rivers over rock and sand substrates.
Flight Season TX May–Aug.
Distribution Also east to Tennessee and northwestern Florida.
Common Clubtails - female sudgenital plates
As the name implies, members of this genus often hang down, even to the vertical, when they perch, and this distinguishes them from most other North American clubtails. Do not be confused by tenerals of other species that may hang down for a while immediately after emergence. Hanging clubtails also perch on broad leaves with rear end pointing downward, as do some common clubtails. Some also perch flat on ground or even with abdomen elevated slightly, but not on twigs or rocks with abdomen elevated as typical of many other clubtails. Otherwise, they look much like common clubtails. A thoracic pattern is distinctive of certain species: yellow stripes on front of thorax that are not connected to yellow above or below. World 30, NA 11, West 6.
179 Riverine Clubtail Stylurus amnicola TL 47–49, HW 29–33
Description Boldly marked clubtail with distinctive thoracic stripes and moderate club. Male: Eyes dark turquoise, face pale with dark irregular markings. Thorax with complex pattern on front, like flower in vase with leaf on either side; T1–2 very wide, only faint line between them, T3–4 narrow and well separated. Abdomen with usual spearpoints on S2–7, short yellow triangle on S8; small yellow spot on side of S7, large spots almost filling sides of S8–9. Female: Colored as male but complete dorsal stripe on S1–7, yellow basal triangle on S8–9. Yellow stripe on sides of S1–3, interrupted stripe and spots on middle segments, more prominent spots on S8–9.
179.1
Riverine Clubtail male—Hampden Co., MA, June 1998, Blair Nikula (posed)
179.2
Riverine Clubtail female—Black Hawk Co., IA, July 2004, John C. Abbott
Identification Pattern on front of thorax diagnostic. One of few clubtails with very wide T1–2 and much less prominent side stripes. Superficially like Black-shouldered Spinyleg because of that, and front of thorax even somewhat similar, but smaller and shorter-legged, with narrower club. Of other hanging clubtails, most like Elusive Clubtail, but different thoracic patterns distinguish them. Not especially like any COMMON CLUBTAIL because of thorax, but note other black and yellow species, Cobra Clubtail with distinctly wider club and Pronghorn Clubtail with more yellow on abdomen tip.
Natural History Rarely seen except during emergence. Adults hang out in treetops except for brief visits to breeding habitat, when males tend to stay over midriver for brief periods. Most likely to find immature individuals near river after emergence.
Habitat Medium to large slow-flowing to rapid rivers with varied bottom types, in or out of woodland.
Flight Season NE Jun–Sep.
Distribution Ranges east to Maine, south to Louisiana and Georgia, poorly known in most regions.
180 Laura’s Clubtail Stylurus laurae TL 60–64, HW 36–42
Description Large clubtail with strongly striped thorax and club with yellow sides. Male: Eyes green, face pale with two dark crossbars. Yellow stripes on front of thorax not connected below to yellow collar. Thorax with T1 wide, narrowly separated from T2; T3–4 narrow but distinct. Abdomen mostly black, becoming brown on terminal segments. Pale dorsal stripe complete on S1–5, then shorter on S6–7. Sides of S3–6 with tiny pale basal spots, S7 with narrow pale edge, S8–9 entirely yellow on sides with slightly darker edges. Female: Colored as male, more yellow on sides of middle segments of abdomen.
180.1
Laura’s Clubtail male—Rockdale Co., GA, July 2002, F. M. Stiteler
180.2
Laura’s Clubtail female—Cherokee Co., GA, August 2005, Giff Beaton
Identification Greener eyes, darker abdomen tip, and much narrower pale stripe between T1 and T2 distinguishes Laura’s from Russet-tipped Clubtail, only other hanging clubtail in eastern Texas; front of thorax also different. Somewhat similar to Gomphurus COMMON CLUBTAILS, but completely dark top and yellow sides of S8–9 of club distinctive, as is thoracic pattern. Also, flight season generally later than Gomphurus.
Natural History Males perch on overhanging leaves and branches from near the water to above head height, less often on rocks and logs. Fly out over riffles briefly and then back to perch. Present at midday but may stay active at water into early evening. Oviposits by tapping water at short intervals, not as wild a flight as many other clubtails. Feeds from trees at forest edge. Rarely encountered in region.
Habitat Clear shallow forest streams with rocky riffles, sand or mud bottoms.
Flight Season TX Jul.
Distribution Also in East from Michigan and Maryland south to northwestern Florida.
181 Elusive Clubtail Stylurus notatus TL 52–64, HW 30–35
Description Large, dark clubtail with moderate club, adults of which are almost never seen. Male: Eyes blue, face pale but with brown bar across upper part. Yellow stripes on front of thorax not in contact with yellow at either end. Thorax with T1–2 wide, joined at top; T3–4 narrow but distinct. Abdomen black, pale stripe on S1–2; small pale triangles on S3–8, shorter than typical clubtail spearpoints (perhaps longer in some individuals). Sides of S3–6 with tiny pale basal spots, S7–9 with large pale spot at base reaching half length or more. Female: Colored as male, more yellow on sides of middle segments of abdomen.
Identification Lack of any reddish color distinguishes Elusive from Russet-tipped Clubtail, thoracic pattern from similarly colored and often co-occurring Riverine Clubtail. Abdomen more slender than in Cobra, Midland, Plains, and Pronghorn Clubtails, color pattern brighter than in Ashy and Dusky Clubtails.
Natural History Justifies its name, as rarely seen except during emergence. Adults fly into forest canopy to feed and come back to breeding habitat briefly to breed. Even when at water, apparently fly far out from shore and difficult to capture, photograph, or observe!
Habitat Large, slow-flowing rivers, less often large lakes.
181.1
Elusive Clubtail male—Wayne Co., MI, September 2005, Allen Chartier
181.2
Elusive Clubtail female—Lafayette Co., WI, August 2006, John and Cindy Anderson
Flight Season NE Jun–Sep.
Distribution Also east through southern Quebec to Maine, south to northern Alabama, northern Georgia, and Maryland.
182 Olive Clubtail Stylurus olivaceus TL 56–60, HW 35–36
Description Large, rather dull clubtail of western rivers with moderate club. Male: Eyes bright blue, face pale. Thorax with brown stripes, very wide T1 and wide T2 almost fused; T3 narrow, half height from bottom, T4 narrow, half height from top, so sides of thorax little marked. Abdomen black with pale stripe on S1–2, spearpoint on S3, same reduced to triangles with narrow midline extension on S4–9. Sides of S1–3 pale, basal spots and short streak in middle on S4–6, large pale spots reaching about halfway down segment on S7–9, entire side of S10. Female: Colored as male, but stripes on sides of thorax may be indistinct; much more yellow on sides of abdomen, most segments largely pale. Populations of arid interior paler all over, with thoracic stripes narrower, T3–4 absent; much less black on abdomen, with continuous dorsal stripe and sides entirely pale. Female looks ringed because black dorsolateral stripes widely interrupted.
Identification Only clubtail in its range with little or no indication of side stripes on thorax. Because of late flight season, overlaps for only short time with Columbia and Pacific Clubtails. From above, note that only this species has pale spot at base of S9 short and wide. Occurs locally with smaller, brighter Brimstone Clubtail, Pale Snaketail, and White-belted Ringtail.
Natural History Males alternate flying low over water in leisurely zigzag flight, sometimes far from shore on big rivers, and perching nearby; both for extended periods. Males perch near breeding habitat, typically on leaves of woody vegetation from knee height to well up in trees, and may make beeline out over river when flushed. Perch usually by hanging vertically or inclined on top of drooping leaf, less commonly on sandy or rocky ground. Females in same areas or farther from water. Pairs copulate for extended periods hanging at chest height or above in trees. Females oviposit in rapid and direct flight.
Habitat Typically large, warm, mud-bottomed rivers, usually with sand banks, in or out of woodland. Occurs down Columbia River to where it rises and falls with tidal influences.
Flight Season BC May–Aug, WA Jul–Nov, OR Aug–Sep, CA Jun–Sep.
182.1
Olive Clubtail male—Clark Co., WA, September 2006
182.2
Olive Clubtail female—Humboldt Co., NV, July 2005
183 Russet-tipped Clubtail Stylurus plagiatus TL 57–66, HW 30–40
Description Wide-ranging clubtail of southern regions with well-defined reddish or yellow and black club. Male: Eyes turquoise to blue, face unmarked but slightly clouded with age. Thorax with S1–4 all present, well separated. Abdomen blackish with pale spear-points on S3–6, small pale triangle on S7; most of S7–10 reddish orange, yellower on sides, with narrow blackish margins on club. Female: Colored as male, abdomen less conspicuously marked and appearing mostly brownish with orangey tip. Little indication of club. Populations in Colorado Desert (southwestern Arizona and southeastern California) rather different and do not bring to mind “Russet-tipped” when sighted. They are paler overall, with narrower thoracic stripes, middle abdominal segments whitish, terminal segments yellowish rather than russet, and with contrasting brown markings, and abdomen with bold black stripes that give them much more patterned look than their relatives to the east. In this population, eyes quite blue and club wider. Farther east, however, even in Texas hill country, populations seem somewhat intermediate. North of Texas, individuals on Great Plains with abdomen scarcely patterned at all, entirely reddish in side view and slightly paler in club area. Eyes also greener.
Identification Eastern population overlaps with several COMMON CLUBTAILS, club narrower than in Cobra, Midland, Plains, Pronghorn, and Tamaulipas Clubtails and russet-tipped abdomen distinctive. Most like Sulphur-tipped Clubtail, overlapping in Texas and surrounding states. Sulphur-tipped smaller, with much more contrasty abdominal markings, including dark stripes down abdomen onto club; Russet-tipped has duller abdomen, obscurely patterned club. FORCEPTAILS and LEAFTAILS that occur with Texas population all have greater extent of dark markings on thorax. Individuals of desert population look as much like RINGTAIL as another kind of clubtail, but abdominal pattern, with no obvious pale rings, different from that of White-belted and Serpent Ringtails, two that overlap. Brimstone Clubtail, common associate of this population, smaller and even brighter yellow, with dark markings on S7 but not S8–10.
183.1
Russet-tipped Clubtail male—Gonzales Co., TX, July 2004
183.2
Russet-tipped Clubtail female—Gonzales Co., TX, July 2004
183.3
Russet-tipped Clubtail southwestern male—Imperial Co., CA, October 2006, Paul Johnson
183.4
Russet-tipped Clubtail southwestern female—Imperial Co., CA, September 2006, Robert Parks
Natural History Probably mostly in trees when not at water. Males often seen hanging vertically in trees or less often in more horizontal position, especially when on leaves. Sexual patrol in back-and-forth flight over breeding habitats, usually over riffles. Females rarely seen, mating pairs usually in trees well above head height. Females oviposit in rapid flight, tapping open water at long intervals.
Habitat Slow-flowing rivers and streams down to fairly narrow ones, in or out of woodland. Mostly in large drainage canals at western end of range.
Flight Season CA Jun–Oct, AZ Jul–Nov, NM Jun–Aug, NE Jun–Oct, TX Apr–Nov.
Distribution Ranges south in eastern Mexico to Nuevo León, also widely in East from Wisconsin and New York south; mostly on Coastal Plain in Northeast.
184 Brimstone Clubtail Stylurus intricatus TL 41–45, HW 26–32
Description Small, mostly yellow clubtail of the arid West with moderate club. Male: Eyes blue, face pale. Thorax with T1–4 narrow, all well separated; T3–4 even narrower than T1–2. Abdomen mostly yellow, black hourglass markings on sides of S3–6, scarcely any other dark markings. Female: Colored as male, a bit more black on S2 and S7.
Identification Only clubtail in range of this small yellow species even vaguely similar is White-belted Ringtail, with more vividly striped thorax and bold ringed pattern on abdomen. Co-occurring Olive Clubtail is larger, olive to gray rather than yellow. Pale Snaketail, larger with greener thorax, often occurs with it.
184.1
Brimstone Clubtail male—Imperial Co., CA, July 2006, Paul Johnson
184.2
Brimstone Clubtail female—Humboldt Co., NV, July 2005
Natural History Males fly rapidly back and forth low over water in short beats, hovering at intervals, or perch in streamside shrubs hanging at 45° angle or on logs; relatively rarely on ground. Females more often in shrubs near water, not perching as high as some other hanging clubtails. Copulation at rest in shrubs for an hour or more. Females oviposit by tapping at intervals while in rapid flight.
Habitat Typically slow-flowing, warm muddy rivers in open country but with associated riparian shrubs and/or trees; sometimes in irrigation canals.
Flight Season CA Jun–Oct, AZ Jun–Nov, NM Jun–Aug, NE Jul–Sep, TX Jun–Oct.
Distribution Sparsely distributed, primarily on major rivers, but range likely more extensive than shown.
Hanging Clubtails - male appendages
Hanging Clubtails - female subgenital plates
Found only in central and eastern North America, spinylegs stand out by very long hind legs with prominent large spines on femur, presumably adaptations for capturing large prey. Otherwise they resemble some Gomphus species, especially subgenus Gomphurus, which also have long hind legs, but they are larger than all but a few of them and with club not as wide in males. World 3, NA 3, West 2.
185 Black-shouldered Spinyleg Dromogomphus spinosus TL 53–68, HW 32–40
Description Large, long-legged rather dark clubtail with moderate club and characteristic wide dark stripes on otherwise pale thorax. Male: Eyes green, face yellow. Thorax yellow to gray with frontal stripe split into widely separated narrow lines joined at top and bottom to produce characteristic pattern. T1–2 very wide and fused or almost fused to make very broad dark brown stripe on either side of front; sides entirely yellow except for dark half-line for T3 and complete line for T4. Abdomen mostly black with yellow to gray line down middle of all segments, wider on basal segments and interrupted and expanded into triangles on S8–9 and spot covering much of S10. Yellow markings low on sides of most segments, forming obvious spots on sides of S7–9. Female: Colored as male, abdomen slightly thicker so club not as pronounced.
Identification This distinctive species most likely mistaken for COMMON CLUBTAILS of subgenus Gomphurus, with their large size, long legs, and striking color patterns, but club not as prominent. Fortunately, Black-shouldered Spinyleg only clubtail with its broad thoracic stripes. Very different-looking than closely related Flag-tailed Spinyleg, and not much else even vaguely similar. Note colored somewhat like much larger and similarly long-legged Dragonhunter, but latter has broad, fused T3–4 and even less club.
Natural History Males perch on leaves up to waist height or above or on ground or rocks near water, facing stream. Also on rocks in water, either pools or riffles. May obelisk in midday sun. Alternate perching and flying up and down or hovering over stream at knee to waist height, abdomen tilted upward. Females and immatures in woodland nearby, usually perched up in vegetation and often in shade. Pairs fly into trees for lengthy copulation. Females oviposit in rapid flight, skimming water and tapping it every few feet.
185.1
Black-shouldered Spinyleg male—Ottawa Co., ON, July 2005, Greg Lasley
185.2
Black-shouldered Spinyleg female—Hillsborough Co., FL, June 2004
Habitat Rocky and muddy streams and rivers from small to large, more often in woodland. Also in rocky lakes in northern part of range.
Flight Season TX May–Jul.
Distribution Also in East from southern Ontario and Nova Scotia south.
186 Flag-tailed Spinyleg Dromogomphus spoliatus TL 56–65, HW 32–36
Description Large, long-legged brightly marked clubtail with largely yellow-orange abdomen tip. Male: Eyes light blue or turquoise, face yellowish-tan. Thorax dull yellow with rather narrow T1–4, T3 often broken. Abdomen with S1–2 mostly yellowish, dark brown dorsolateral blotches on S2; S3–6 white with blackish dorsolateral markings, smaller anterior one connected or not to larger posterior one; from side, may present appearance of two black and white rings alternating on each segment; S7–10 yellow to orange, S7–9 often with brown markings above. Female: Colored as male, abdomen less clubbed.
Identification Common name comes from club being laterally compressed, very conspicuous like flag from side but not very wide in top view. A few other clubtails in range share general appearance of ringed midabdomen with orange S7–10. Jade and Stillwater Clubtails both a bit smaller, with pale yellow or cream-colored abdomen and only one large dark marking on each middle segment. Flag-tailed Spinyleg has white midabdomen with two apparent markings per segment. Cobra, Plains, and Sulphur-tipped Clubtails have dark markings continuous along sides of abdomen and darker, more conspicuous markings on yellow club. FORCEPTAILS and LEAFTAILS, often in same habitats, have much less well-developed club; also, if abdomen looks ringed, one ring per segment. Eastern Ringtail, often found with it, conspicuously smaller with green thorax. Black-shouldered Spinyleg very differently colored, with smaller club.
Natural History Males perch on elevated perches at waterside, also low on rocks, or fly out over water with much hovering. Abdomen up to vertical obelisk on sunny midday but also hanging down in some individuals perched in shrubs.
Habitat Slow-flowing rivers and large, sometimes muddy, ponds.
Flight Season NM Jul–Aug, TX May–Oct.
186.1
Flag-tailed Spinyleg male—Kimble Co., TX, July 2004
186.2
Flag-tailed Spinyleg female—Caldwell Co., TX, July 2004
Distribution Also south in Mexico to Tamaulipas, east to Michigan, West Virginia, and western Georgia.
Dragonhunter is the largest of North American clubtails, with poorly developed club and wide, flat larva that resembles wood chip. It is closely related to the equally large and fierce Sieboldius of Asia. World 1, NA 1, West 1.
187 Dragonhunter Hagenius brevistylus TL 73–90, HW 47–58
Description Long-legged, black and yellow monster dragonfly with small head that often flies with abdomen tip curled down. Male: Eyes green, face yellow with fine black line across it. Thorax yellow with broad S1 and S2 almost fused, broad S3 and S4 almost fused; yellow stripe between pairs narrower than dark area. Abdomen black with yellow on sides of basal segments and narrow yellow spearpoints, shortening to rear and becoming triangles by S7–8; yellow basal spots on sides of middle segments expanding into larger spots on sides of S8–9. Female: Colored as male but much more yellow visible on sides of abdomen, yellow on top and sides of S8 in contact.
Identification No other clubtail as large as this one, might be more likely mistaken for SPIKETAIL or RIVER CRUISER as it flies by, but notice different pattern of yellow on black on both thorax and abdomen. Perched individual not like anything else, although note somewhat similar appearance but smaller size and different thoracic pattern of Black-shouldered Spinyleg.
Natural History Males perch on tree and shrub branches over water, often hanging down a bit and seeming awkward, too large for perch. Perch held distinctively in crook of long hind legs, but awkwardness confirmed when one crashes into tangle of twigs, flutters, and then flies out again! Also perches flat on ground or rocks near water. Males fly leisurely up and down streams or along shorelines, looking for prey and/or females, with abdomen a bit elevated, tip curled down. Females may fly in same manner, then look exactly like males. Preys on other odonates and butterflies and presumably other large insects. Ebony Jewelwings are common prey, and Dragonhunters may be most common at streams where jewelwings are abundant. Other clubtails also common prey, including largest species occurring with it. Typically oviposits facing vertical stream banks, hovering and dropping forward to the water to tap once, then rising (and backing up!) to drop and tap again, changing position every tap or every few taps. This may be continued for several minutes. Also by long flights over open water and reported to drop eggs from above water. Immatures of both sexes in shrubby areas near water, usually quite wary.
Habitat Wide variety of streams and rivers, less commonly lakes. As other top predators (cougars, wolves, great horned owls), seem to be able to utilize all habitats. This may be because larva not a burrower (rests among detritus), thus not tied to any particular substrate.
Flight Season TX May–Oct.
Distribution Also throughout East, north to central Ontario and Nova Scotia.
187.1
Dragonhunter male—Washington Co., VT, July 2004, Bryan Pfeiffer
187.2
Dragonhunter female—Kerr Co., TX, June 2001, Robert A. Behrstock
With diversity centered in Mexico, these are neotropical relatives of temperate snaketails, although none of them have horned females. The two groups probably do not overlap in distribution anywhere. Male ringtails are moderately clubbed, females not; legs are short. Ground color of thorax is green except in White-belted (yellow and white) and California populations of Serpent (gray). From the side, middle of the abdomen is black with conspicuous pale rings visible on each segment, often yellow as they extend across top; S7 has wide white band; and club is reddish, orange, or yellow and black. Snaketails instead show yellow spots on each segment, no white rings visible from the side, and the club is not differently colored. The species can be divided into two groups based on the shape of male cerci from the side; White-belted and Blue-faced taper smoothly, whereas the other four are angled above and quite pointed. Females are mostly similar to one another and must be distinguished by thoracic markings. Males typically perch on the ground or on rocks or twigs over water; females perch similarly but visit water only for breeding. Females oviposit by flying rapidly over water and tapping at intervals. World 22, NA 6, West 6.
Table 7 Ringtail (Erpetogomphus) Identification
188 Blue-faced Ringtail Erpetogomphus eutainia TL 38–44, HW 23–28
Description Small Texas ringtail with blue face and front of thorax, conspicuous pale ring in front of brown abdomen tip. Male: Eyes bright blue, face turquoise with faint brown bars across front. Front of thorax turquoise, sides green; T1–4 narrow but conspicuous, T1 broken at top. Abdomen green to turquoise on S1–2 with brown markings; S3–7 blue on top, whitish on sides, with each segment mostly brown at rear. S8–10 reddish brown, darker on top of S8–9. Female: Colored as male but eyes duller blue, blue not evident on thorax, white more prominent on sides of abdomen and across base of S7; tip of abdomen all brown.
188.1
Blue-faced Ringtail male—Gonzales Co., TX, July 2004
188.2
Blue-faced Ringtail female—Gonzales Co., TX, July 2004
Identification Only North American clubtail with blue face, evident in front view of both sexes. Eyes darker blue than other ringtails. Note also that white rings are on middle of segments, not at base. Only ringtail with conspicuous white ring in front of brown abdomen tip in its range, shared by Serpent Ringtail farther west. Smallest ringtail in the region and smallest clubtail where it occurs (still smaller LEAST and PYGMY CLUBTAILS not in Texas). Only other American clubtails with blue body coloration (many have blue eyes) are related small ringtails in Mexico and Central America.
Natural History Both sexes perch low in vegetation at edge of open areas near water. Also fly slowly in and out of vegetation, looking rather like damselflies. Very tame. Males at times common over Guadalupe River in numbers that have been called a swarm.
Habitat Clear spring-fed sandy and rocky rivers, usually in woodland.
Flight Season TX May–Oct.
Distribution So far known only from three Texas counties in the United States, on the Guadalupe and San Marcos rivers and Rio Grande; also occurs widely in eastern and southern Mexico and south to Costa Rica.
189 Eastern Ringtail Erpetogomphus designatus TL 49–55, HW 30–35
Description Ringtail with dark stripe on front of thorax incomplete below, small patches of color at wing bases. Male: Eyes light blue, face pale greenish with two faintly indicated light brown stripes across front. Thorax dull light green with narrow but well-developed stripes T1–4; T1 incomplete at both ends. Abdomen with S1–6 mostly black with pale yellow to off-white basal ring and yellow dorsal stripe on each segment; S7 similar but with more orange, S8–10 entirely orange or S8–9 with much brown or black above. Female: Colored as male but yellow more extensive on top of abdomen, black markings more reduced. All wings with well-defined brown spots at base, inconspicuous in minority of individuals but entirely lacking in some populations along Rio Grande in west Texas. These populations also generally paler, with duller markings and more yellowish club.
Identification With moderately well-striped thorax, most similar to Serpent Ringtail, with which it barely overlaps. Differs by incomplete dark stripe on front of thorax and often all-orange club of males, conspicuous even in flight. At close range, longer points of cerci in Eastern should be evident. Thoracic striping much heavier than in Dashed and Yellow-legged Ringtails and gives quite different impression from moderately striped Blue-faced and White-belted Ringtails. In hand, slightly swollen occiput of both sexes distinctive.
189.1
Eastern Ringtail male—Kimble Co., TX, July 2004
189.2
Eastern Ringtail female—Kimble Co., TX, July 2004
189.3
Eastern Ringtail southwestern male—Brewster Co., TX, November 2007, Netta Smith
Natural History Both sexes on ground or on twigs up to head height, can be some distance from water. Males fly up and down riffles on beats 10–20 feet long, hover for short periods facing wind, then move again. Also perch on rocks and in low vegetation. Abdomen usually elevated slightly, up to vertical at midday. Females oviposit in pools, fairly erratic with one tap on each yard-long run.
Habitat Sandy and gravelly streams and rivers, even large ones.
Flight Season MT Jul, NM May–Sep, TX May–Nov.
Distribution Ranges south in uplands of Mexico to Durango and Nuevo León, east to Maryland and northwestern Florida.
190 Serpent Ringtail Erpetogomphus lampropeltis TL 41–56, HW 27–35
Description Widespread desert ringtail, subspecies E. l. natrix with blue-green heavily striped thorax, vivid white-ringed abdomen with black and orange club. Male: Eyes blue; face pale tan, greenish above. Thorax bluish-green with well-developed dark brown stripes; T1 and T2 wide and very close, almost fused; T3 and T4 narrow but conspicuous. Abdomen white with heavy black markings on S1–7 leaving white basal rings; yellow to orange dorsal stripe. S7–10 orange, often with much black above. California coastal subspecies E. l. lampropeltis rather different looking, with thorax ground color gray, slightly tinged with bluish-green, T1 and T2 almost completely fused, T3 and T4 relatively wide and joined by dark area between them. Female: Colored as male, dorsal abdominal stripe may be darker orange.
Identification Desert subspecies could only be confused with other RINGTAILS in its range, differs from all of them by bluish-green thorax. Also differs from Dashed and Yellow-legged Ringtails in much more heavily striped thorax, from White-belted in lack of white lateral thoracic stripe. Overlaps with Eastern Ringtail in eastern part of range, differs from that species in more bluish-green thorax and mostly dark club. Higher in mountains, green-thoraxed Arizona Snaketail differs in having sparsely striped thorax and lacking white rings on abdomen; probably do not overlap in altitude. In range of coastal subspecies, only other clubtails are Pacific Clubtail and Grappletail with black and yellow thorax and Desert Sanddragon with less prominent thoracic striping, yellow on front of thorax, and white markings on abdomen prolonged as spears rather than ring-shaped.
Natural History Males of both subspecies perch on rocks and twigs at breeding habitat, usually at riffles. Occasionally fly out over stream on patrol, frequent clashes with other males. May arrive on territory early in day before sun hits stream, then vibrate wings to warm up. Females more often found in open areas nearby, typically perching on ground or rocks. Females oviposit by flying rapidly over pools, dipping to surface at intervals of a few feet.
Habitat Shallow, rocky streams, both wide and narrow, with pools and riffles in open.
Flight Season CA Jun–Oct, AZ May–Oct, NM Aug, TX Sep–Oct.
Distribution Coastal California populations are subspecies E. l. lampropeltis, E. l. natrix elsewhere and ranging south in Mexico to Baja California Sur and Durango. Substantial difference in coloration between coastal and desert populations caused past workers to consider them different species.
190.1
Serpent Ringtail male—Yavapai Co., AZ, September 2005
190.2
Serpent Ringtail female—Sonora, Mexico, September 2005
190.3
Serpent Ringtail California male—Los Angeles Co., CA, August 2007, Don Roberson
191 Yellow-legged Ringtail Erpetogomphus crotalinus TL 45–59, HW 29–35
Description Mexican Plateau ringtail with mostly unmarked thorax and yellow abdomen. Male: Eyes dull grayish blue, face lime green. Thorax entirely bright lime green without dark stripes in most, but some show faintly indicated T1. Abdomen with S1–2 lime green with small brown dorsolateral marks on 2, rest mostly yellow; white on sides of S3–6, with black dorsolateral stripes on S3–9. Tibiae black with yellow stripes on outside. Female: Colored as male, but S1–2 mostly green.
191.1
Yellow-legged Ringtail male—Chihuahua, Mexico, September 2005
191.2
Yellow-legged Ringtail female—Chihuahua, Mexico, September 2005
Identification Virtually unmarked very green thorax and abdomen base distinctive, as is conspicuously yellow-tipped abdomen. Outer surface of tibiae black in all other ringtails, and all but Dashed Ringtail have well-striped front and sides of thorax. Dashed quite similar but a bit larger and always with stripes visible on front of thorax, abdomen base with more dark markings. Much more angled cerci of male Dashed obvious in hand or with close side view.
Natural History Typical of genus, both sexes perching on rocks or sand at or near breeding habitat. Rarely found north of Mexican border.
Habitat Sandy, rocky hill streams and rivers, spring runs, and irrigation ditches; in desert habitats with wooded or shrubby banks.
Flight Season NM Aug–Sep.
Distribution Ranges south in uplands of Mexico to Guerrero.
192 Dashed Ringtail Erpetogomphus heterodon TL 50–55, HW 31–36
Description Bright southwestern ringtail with sparse markings on thorax and much yellow on abdomen. Thorax medium green, incomplete brown stripe on either side of front, no markings on sides. Male: Eyes dull blue-gray, face lime green. Thorax lime green with well-developed but usually isolated T1, narrow brown suture lines for T2 and T4. Abdomen with S1–2 and base of S2 green, rest yellow with sides of S3–6 white and large dorsolateral marks, leaving pale rings at base of segments. S7–10 yellow-orange with black dorsal markings. Female: Colored about as male, no hint of club.
Identification Less heavily striped than most other ringtails. Overlaps in range with Yellow-legged Ringtail, which has even less indication of thoracic striping and yellow outer surfaces of tibiae. Also occurs with Serpent Ringtail, from which it differs in a much less striped thorax.
Natural History Typical of genus, males perching on sand or rocks and flying out over riffles from time to time.
192
Dashed Ringtail male—Chihuahua, Mexico, September 2005
Habitat Shallow, rocky streams in mountains, in open desert country or pine-oak woodland. Typically a riparian band of shrubs.
Flight Season NM Jul–Aug, TX Jun–Sep.
Distribution Ranges south in uplands of Mexico to Chihuahua.
193 White-belted Ringtail Erpetogomphus compositus TL 46–55, HW 30–35
Description Brightly marked ringtail with white front and side stripes on yellow-green and brown thorax. May have distinct orange suffusion at wing bases. Individuals from southwestern California and Baja California smaller than those from elsewhere. Male: Eyes light blue, face whitish. Thorax yellow to chartreuse in front and on sides with four dark brown stripes, white between T1 and T2 and between T3 and T4. Abdomen with S2–7 black and white ringed, S8–10 yellow to orange and black. Club varies from largely orange in most populations to moderately marked with black in some northern individuals. Female: Colored as male, thorax may be paler in front, abdomen tip with more black. No evident club.
193.1
White-belted Ringtail male—Benton Co., WA, July 2004
193.2
White-belted Ringtail female—Benton Co., WA, August 2007, Netta Smith
Identification Thorax palest of North American ringtails, yellow instead of green, and characterized by white “belt” on side. Most other ringtails that occur with it have green thorax, only Eastern and Serpent Ringtails with thorax as heavily striped. Occurs sparingly with California form of Serpent Ringtail, which has no trace of yellow or white on thorax.
Natural History Males perch on ground or on rocks or branches, often in very open areas and usually at riffles. At water during warmer parts of day and near it at other times. Both sexes found away from water perching in shrubs and trees, even above head height.
Habitat Open sandy streams, rivers, and irrigation ditches, typically in desert country; also at sink holes.
Flight Season WA Jul–Aug, OR Jun–Sep, CA Apr–Oct, AZ May–Nov, NM Jun–Aug, TX Apr–Oct.
Distribution Ranges south in Mexico to Baja California Sur and Sonora.
Ringtails - male appendages
These beautiful green clubtails are much sought by dragonfly enthusiasts, as they usually live along pristine rapid streams, especially in the East, and some are quite uncommon. Western species may be on slower, larger rivers, and most are common. Males are slightly but distinctly clubbed, females scarcely so; legs are short. Like ringtails, these clubtails have a green thorax, but light markings on the abdomen are not in shape of distinct rings. Abdomen is black and yellow, not as strongly tinged with orange as in most ringtails. Females of most species have one or two pairs of spinelike “horns” on or behind the occiput. Males perch on sandy or gravelly shores or streamside vegetation, usually fairly low, and alternate perching with steady flight up and down beats over shallow riffles and pools. Females are only at water to breed but often are found nearby in clearings and open country. There is substantial emergence at times, with immature individuals sometimes satisfyingly common in clearings near rivers. World 29, NA 19, West 8.
Table 8 Snaketail (Ophiogomphus) Identification
194 Arizona Snaketail Ophiogomphus arizonicus TL 48–54, HW 30–35
Description Snaketail of southwestern mountains with virtually unmarked thorax. Male: Eyes turquoise, face pale chartreuse. Thorax bright green (dull when older), with faintly indicated dash for T1 that may be almost illegible, also fine brown lines for T3 and T4. Abdomen yellow-orange with black stripes along sides of S2–9 forming pale dorsal stripe or backward-pointing triangles where broken on some segments by black. Female: Colored as male. Most have pair of stout horns projecting backward from occiput.
194.1
Arizona Snaketail male—Apache Co., AZ, July 2007
194.2
Arizona Snaketail female—Apache Co., AZ, July 2007, Doug Danforth
Identification Very similar to Pale Snaketail, which may overlap with it but is not surely known to do so. Pale usually but not always has larger mark for T1, may have to check male appendages for length of epiproct for certain distinction (half length of cerci in Arizona, about three-fourths in Pale). Females even more similar, Arizona usually with two small spines at rear edge and depression in middle of occiput; Pale has no spines or depression. Several species of RINGTAILS usually at elevations below Arizona Snaketail, but all have ringed rather than striped abdomens, most likely overlap (Serpent Ringtail) with heavily striped thorax.
Natural History Males perch on rocks in stream, retire to nearby grass and trees when cloudy. Females more likely to oviposit when males absent, for example when cloudy.
Habitat Small, rocky, mountain streams with moderate current and open banks; typically in open pine forest.
Flight Season AZ Jun–Oct, NM Jun–Aug.
195 Pale Snaketail Ophiogomphus severus TL 49–52, HW 28–34
Description Wide-ranging western snaketail with lightly marked thorax. Male: Eyes light sky-blue to blue-gray, face light green. Thorax pale green, dull in older individuals, either virtually unmarked or with small to large dark brown oval spot for T1, fine to slightly wider dark line in suture for T2. Abdomen pale green on S1–2, otherwise yellow, with black lateral stripes on S2–10 meeting in middle on most segments, forming backward-pointing triangles on top. Variable in color pattern, populations in cooler regions with well-developed short thoracic stripes and more black on abdomen, those in hotter regions virtually lacking such stripes. Female: Colored as male but whitish prominent below black side stripes because of thicker abdomen. No occipital horns.
Identification All western snaketails potentially occur with this species, although coexistence with Arizona and Bison Snaketails not definitely known. Differs from most in having least-developed dark thoracic stripes, only T1 obvious but always short, or no stripes. Paler overall than other species, thorax not as bright, but thoracic stripes must be seen for definitive identification. For possibility of occurrence with Arizona Snaketail, see that species. Recall that female and immature male Western Pondhawk also bright green; it has relatively short, wide green abdomen.
195.1
Pale Snaketail male—Harney Co., OR, July 2005
195.2
Pale Snaketail female—Harney Co., OR, July 2006, Netta Smith
Natural History Males rest on sand, rocks, and twigs at stream up to head height or fly up and down, usually localized at riffles. Perch facing water with abdomen slightly, sometimes greatly, elevated. More time spent perched than flying. Obelisk during hot midday. Copulation lengthy, at rest. Females have been seen to fly out from rock to riffle, tap water once, and return to rock, then do it again. Might not be typical oviposition for species.
Habitat Sandy and rocky streams and rivers, in both forested and entirely open country. Often at smaller streams than other western snaketails. Also sometimes at sandy lakes in northern part of range.
Flight Season BC May–Aug, WA Jun–Aug, OR May–Aug, CA May–Jul, MT Jun–Aug, NM Jun–Oct, NE Jun–Aug.
Comments Most heavily marked individuals are in wetter, cooler parts of range in northern Rocky Mountains. These have been distinguished as a distinct subspecies, O. s. montanus, but it is not recognizable as a geographic entity.
Description Pacific Coast snaketail with wide rich dark brown stripes on thorax. Male: Eyes blue to dark turquoise, face chartreuse. Thorax green with T1–2 wide and fused, narrow line at T4. Abdomen yellow-orange, mostly dark brown to black on sides forming series of pale triangles down entire abdomen; white low on sides of S1–3, yellow-orange on sides of S7–10. Female: Colored as male. Conspicuous pair of horns project from either side of center of occiput.
Identification Darkest green and most vividly marked of western snaketails, with thick dark humeral stripes on thorax. Overlaps with Great Basin and Sinuous Snaketails, less with Pale Snaketail, and heavy fused thoracic stripes distinguish Bison from all. Other than those species, no clubtails in range with green thorax. Occipital horns of female closer together than in other western snaketails.
Natural History Males perch on rocks, ground, and twigs at water; females on similar perches away from it.
Habitat Swift rocky streams bordered by willows, mostly in forested habitats, from lowlands to well up in mountains.
Flight Season OR Jun, CA Apr–Oct.
Comments One hybrid with Great Basin Snaketail reported from northeast California.
196.1
Bison Snaketail male—Shasta Co., CA, May 2002, Ray Bruun
196.2
Bison Snaketail female—Butte Co., CA, June 2003, Chris Heaivilin
Description Western interior snaketail with strongly striped thorax. Male: Eyes turquoise, face light green. Thorax light green with T1 and T2 parallel, T1 disconnected above; T4 represented by narrow suture line. Abdomen yellow with black stripes along sides, enclosing rearward-pointing triangles on S2–9; S10 and appendages pale. Individuals in eastern part of range (Nevada) with narrower stripes than farther west but stripes with same configuration. Rarely anterior stripe reduced to oval spot. Female: Colored as male, white more conspicuous below black on sides of distinctly thicker abdomen. Some females with pair of horns on occiput adjacent to eyes.
Identification Both sexes quite similar to Sinuous Snaketail in general appearance, and difference in T1 and T2 will have to be seen: parallel and well separated in Great Basin, almost touching with narrow curved line between in Sinuous. Eyes more intense blue and thorax a bit yellower than in Sinuous. Usually easily distinguished from Bison Snaketail, with fused T1–2, and Pale Snaketail, with those stripes much reduced, but occasional Great Basin with reduced stripes may have to be distinguished by male appendages. White-belted Ringtail, also superficially similar, has ringed abdomen, white on thorax.
Natural History Males perch on twigs and rocks at breeding habitats, also fly back and forth low over water. Females in open areas away from water. Ovipositing females fly rapidly upstream and tap water at intervals of 3 feet or so, then move some distance and do it again; then fly quickly away from water.
Habitat Streams and rivers, usually with gravelly or sandy bottom and moderate current; also flowing irrigation canals with mud bottom and, less often, lakes. Tolerates extremely alkaline situations, as in Pyramid Lake, Nevada.
Flight Season OR Jun–Sep, CA May–Aug.
Comments One hybrid with Bison Snaketail reported from northeast California.
197.1
Great Basin Snaketail male—Siskiyou Co., CA, June 2004
197.2
Great Basin Snaketail female—Siskiyou Co., CA, June 2004, Netta Smith
