How to know

the of Alaska plus where they live and other fun facts

Odonate Biodiversity

• Worldwide 5,400+ • N.A. 450 • Mexico 347 • California 112 • Oregon 89 • Washington 80 • B.C. 87 • 33 • ALASKA 35

Field Guides Suborders Anisoptera Zygoptera

An-iso-ptera = un-equal-wing Zygo-ptera = joined-wing

27 8 Species FIVE FAMILIES in AK Anisoptera

Corduliidae – Emeralds (9) Aeshnidae – Darners (7) – Skimmers (8)

Zygoptera

Coenagrionidae – Pond damsels (6) Lestidae – Spreadwings (2) - Emeralds

Somatochlora – striped emeralds (8)

Cordulia – common emeralds (1)

Is there a spot at the base of the hind wing?

Delicate Emerald Whitehouse’s Emerald ( franklini) (Somatochlora whitehousei) Does it have rings on the abdomen?

Ringed Emerald Hudsonian Emerald () () No abdominal rings or wing spots.

Treeline Emerald American Emerald () (Cordulia shurtleffii)

Delicate Emerald*

No abdominal rings or wing spots.

Mountain Emerald (Somatochlora semicircularis) Kennedy’s Emerald (Somatochlora kennedyi) No abdominal rings or wing spots.

Ocellated Emerald (Somatochlora minor)

Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge

The Mosaic Darners

Aeshnidae Aeshna (7) Darner ID (It’s about the stripes)

Subarctic Paddle-tail (A. subarctica) (A. palmata) Lake (A. eremita)

Variable Zig-zag & Azure (A. interrupta) (A. sitchensis & septentrionalis) Sedge (A. juncea)

Libellulidae - Skimmers

Leuchorrhinia – Whitefaces (5) Libellula – King skimmers (1) – Meadowhawks (2)

Is it less that 28 mm long?

female

Canada Whiteface ( patricia)

mature male Is it greater than 36 mm long?

Immature female

Boreal Whiteface (Leucorrhinia borealis)

Mature male Hudsonian Whiteface (Leucorrhinia hudsonica)

Mature male

Immature female No abdominal spots beyond segment 3?

Crimson-ringed Whiteface (Leucorrhinia glacialis)

Belted Whiteface (Leucorrhinia proxima)

Warning: females similar to Hudsonian Whiteface

Female vulvar laminae Male hamules Mature male

Black Meadowhawk (Sympetrum danae)

Immature female Cherry-faced Meadowhawk (Sympetrum internum)

Four-spotted Skimmer (Libellula quadrimaculata) Suborder: Zygoptera

Coenagrionidae – Pond Damsels Enallagma - American Bluets (2) Coenagrion - Eurasian Bluets (3) Nehalennia – Sprites (1) Coenagrion - Eurasian Bluets

Subarctic Bluet (C. interogatum)

Taiga Bluet (C. resolutum) Prairie Bluet (C. angulatum) Bluets male terminal appendages

Taiga Subarctic Prairie

Enallagma – American Bluets

Boreal (Enallagma borealis)

Northern (Enallagma annexum) Sedge Sprite

Nehalennia irene Suborder: Zygoptera

Lestidae – Spreadwings Lestes – Pond Spreadwings (2) Spreadwings - Lestidae

Northern spreadwing

Emerald spreadwing Rare or Occasional Visitor?

Dave McShaffrey Ian Lane Common Pacific Spiketail Green Darner

G.W. Lasley Spot-winged Glider Sagwon (3?)

Kanuti NWR (25)

Galena- Koyukuk NWR (25) Fairbanks (20) Delta Junction (22) Tetlin NWR (23)

Anchorage-Palmer (18) Kenai (13) Juneau (18) King Salmon (8) Odonate species Ketchikan (15) diversity around the state Thank you

The Alaska Odonata Survey 16445 Point Lena Loop Road Juneau, AK 99801 907-790-2227 [email protected] …while the Anisoptera are usually larger and more sturdily built, swift and bold of The Zygoptera are flight, with an slender of appearance delicate appearance calculated to inspire and relatively feeble fear in the minds of flight…. most people.