Dragonflies and Damselflies of Southeastern New York

Alan & Della Wells Odonata

North America 511 species

New Jersey 182 species

New York 185 species Odonata Damselflies (Zygoptera)

• At rest, wings meeting above body or partly extended • Front and hind wings similar in size and shape • Eyes separated by more than their own width • Generally, weak fliers

Dragonflies (Anisoptera)

• At rest, wings held horizontally • Hind wing considerably wider at base than front wing • Eyes meeting mid-dorsally or closely spaced • Generally, strong fliers Damselflies

North America 161 species

New Jersey 54 species

New York 58 species Damselflies

Broad-winged Damsels

Spreadwings

Pond Damsels Broad-winged Damsels Calopterygidae

• Wings broad at base • Wings held together at rest • Wings with black, brown, amber or red • 6 NY species Ebony Jewelwing, Calopteryx maculata Ebony Jewelwing, Calopteryx maculata Spreadwings Lestidae

• Wings narrow at base • Wings spread at rest • Wings clear or slightly tinted • Stigmas long, length > 2x width • 11 NY species Southern Spreadwing, Lestes australis Slender Spreadwing, Lestes rectangularis Sweetflag Spreadwing, Lestes forcipatus Swamp Spreadwing, Lestes vigilax Amber-winged Spreadwing ???, Lestes eurinus Pond Damsel Coenagrionidae

• Wings narrow at base • Wings usually held together at rest • Wings clear or slightly tinted • Stigmas short, length  width • 41 NY species Pond Damsels

Common Name Genus NY Bluets (American) Enallagma 24 Dancers Argia 6  Forktails Ischnura 6  Sprites Nehalennia 3 Aurora Damsel Chromagrion 1 Red Damsel Amphiagrion 1 Bluets (Eurasian) Coenagrion 1 Tech Note:

How to tell Bluets from Dancers... Look for, Variable (Violet) Dancer, Argia fumipennis Variable (Violet) Dancer, Argia fumipennis Powdered Dancer, Argia moesta Powdered Dancer, Argia moesta Blue-fronted Dancer, Argia apicalis Dusky Dancer, Argia translata Blue-tipped Dancer, Argia tibialis (S1) Blue-tipped Dancer, Argia tibialis (Blue Form) (S1) Tech Note:

Distinquishing Bluets and related damsels...

From Nikula et al. 2003 Skimming Bluet, Enallagma geminatum Stream Bluet, Enallagma exsulans Turquoise Bluet, Enallagma divagans Northern Bluet, Enallagma cyathigerum New England Bluet, Enallagma laterale Azure Bluet, Enallagma aspersum Marsh Bluet, Enallagma ebrium Double-striped Bluet, Enallagma basidens Familiar Bluet, Enallagma civile Big Bluet, Enallagma durum Orange Bluet, Enallagma signatum Eastern Forktail, Ischnura verticalis Fragile Forktail, Ischnura posita Lilypad Forktail, Ischnura kellicotti Sedge Sprite, Nehalennia irene Sphagnum Sprite, Nehalennia gracilis Aurora Damsel, Chromagrion conditum Dragonflies

North America 350 species

New Jersey 127 species

New York 128 species Dragonflies

Family NY Petaltails Petaluridae 1  Darners Aeshnidae 19  Clubtails Gomphidae 34  Spiketails Cordulegastridae 4  Cruisers Macromiidae 2  Emeralds Corduliidae 25  Skimmers Libellulidae 42  Petaltails Petaluridae

• Size: Large • Wings: Clear • Coloration: Gray and black • Eyes: Dark, widely separated • Perch: Hanging vertically on tree trunks, on ground • Flight: Males may patrol up and down tree trunks Gray Petaltail, Trachopteryx thoreyi Darners Aeshnidae

• Size: Medium to large • Wings: Most are clear • Coloration: Multicolored (brown with blue, green, yellow • Eyes: Large, meet broadly along a seam (often blue, green, or brown) • Perch: Most hang vertically or obliquely • Flight: Fliers, at low to high heights Common Green Darner, Anax junius Common Green Darner, Anax junius Common Green Darner, Anax junius Springtime Darner, Basiaeschna janata Swamp Darner, Epiaeschna heros Swamp Darner, Epiaeschna heros Harlequin Darner, Gomphaeschna furcillata Green-striped Darner, Aeschna verticalis Shadow Darner, Aeshna umbrosa Spatterdock Darner, Aeshna mutata Tech Note:

How to tell Mosaic Darners apart...

From Nikula et al. 2003 Fawn Darner, Boyeria vinosa Clubtails Gomphidae

• Size: Small to large • Wings: Most are clear • Coloration: Camouflaged color pattern; brown/black with yellow, green, or gray • Eyes: Widely separated, often green or blue • Perch: Horizontally on ground, rocks, etc. Often with arched abdomen • Flight: Perchers; fly at low to medium heights • Other Characteristics: Often with a flare (club) at end of abdomen Least Clubtail, Stylogomphus albistylus Dragonhunter, Hagenius brevistylus Black-shouldered Spinyleg, Dromogomphus spinosus Lancet Clubtail, Gomphus exilis Lilypad Clubtail, Arigomphus furcifer Unicorn Clubtail, Arigomphus villosipes Ashy Clubtail, Gomphus lividus Ashy Clubtail, Gomphus lividus Spiketails Cordulagasteridae????

• Size: XXXX • Wings: XXX • Coloration: XXX • Eyes: XXX • Perch: XXX • Flight: XXX • Other Characteristics: Two yellow stripes on the side of the thorax Arrowhead Spiketail, Cordulegaster obliqua Delta-spotted Spiketail, Cordulegaster diastatops Twin-spotted Spiketail, Cordulegaster maculata Tiger Spiketail, Cordulegaster erronea Cruisers Macromiidae

• Size: XXXX • Wings: XXX • Coloration: XXX • Eyes: XXX • Perch: XXX • Flight: XXX • Other Characteristics: Single yellow stripe on the side of the thorax Stream Cruiser, Didymops transversa Emeralds Corduliidae

• Size: Medium to large • Wings: Most are clear; club shaped anal loop • Coloration: Mostly brown/black with yellow spots/stripes; often iridescent bronze/green • Eyes: Meet broadly along seam; often brilliant green • Perch: Most hang vertically or obliquely • Flight: Fliers; fly at medium to high heights • Other Characteristics: Males often with spindle-shaped abdomen Technical Note:

Emeralds

Skimmers

http://www.bio.georgiasouthern.edu/bio-home/Harvey/dragonkey.html Prince Baskettail,

Prince Baskettail, http://www.dragonflies.org/ Common Baskettail, Epitheca cynosura (?) Uhler’s Sundragon, Helocordulia uhleri Clamp-tipped Emerald, Somatochlora tenebrosa Tech Note:

How to tell Somatochlora apart...

From Nikula et al. 2003 Racket-tailed Emerald, Dorocordulia libera Unidentified Emerald, Cordulidae Skimmer Libellulidae

• Size: Small to large • Wings: Often with conspicuous patterns; foot-shaped anal loop • Coloration: Colorful, often sexually dichromatic • Eyes: Meet broadly along seam • Perch: Horizontally, vertically or obliquely • Flight: Mostly perchers; fly at low to high heights Eastern Amberwing, Perithemis tenera Eastern Amberwing, Perithemis tenera Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax longipennis Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax longipennis Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax longipennis Eastern Pondhawk, Erythemis simplicollis Eastern Pondhawk, Erythemis simplicollis Halloween Pennant, Celithemis eponina Calico Pennant, Celithemis elisa Calico Pennant, Celithemis elisa Banded Pennant, Celithemis fasciata Painted Skimmer, Libellula semifasciata Four-spotted Skimmer, Libellula quadrimaculata Needham’s Skimmer, Libellula needhami (S2S3) Needham’s Skimmer, Libellula needhami (S2S3) Spangled Skimmer, Libellula cyanea Spangled Skimmer, Libellula cyanea Slaty Skimmer, Libellula incesta Great Blue Skimmer, Libellula vibrans Chalk-fronted Corporal, Ladona julia White Corporal, Ladona exusta Blue Corporal, Ladona deplanata Common Whitetail, Plathemis lydia Common Whitetail, Plathemis lydia Twelve-spotted Skimmer, Libellula pulchella Twelve-spotted Skimmer, Libellula pulchella Widow Skimmer, Libellula luctuosa Widow Skimmer, Libellula luctuosa Dot-tailed Whiteface, Leucorrhinia intacta Dot-tailed Whiteface, Leucorrhinia intacta Frosted Whiteface, Leucorrhinia frigida Hudsonian Whiteface, Leucorrhinia hudsonica White-faced Meadowhawk, Sympetrum obtrusum Ruby Meadowhawk, Sympetrum rubicundulum Yellow-legged Meadowhawk, Sympetrum vicinum Yellow-legged Meadowhawk, Sympetrum vicinum Band-winged Meadowhawk, Sympetrum semicinctum Wandering Glider, Pantala flavescens Black Saddlebags, Tramea lacerata Behavior Twelve-spotted Skimmer + Blue Dasher Twelve-spotted Skimmer + Blue Dasher Twelve-spotted Skimmer + Blue Dasher Twelve-spotted Skimmer + Blue Dasher Common Whitetail, Libellula (Plathemis) lydia Art Work: C. Berger 2004

“I need another male like I need another hole in my head...” Obelisking Meadowhawk, Sympetrum sp. Reproduction

From: Manolis 2003 Common Whitetail, Libellula (Plathemis) lydia Common Whitetail, Libellula (Plathemis) lydia Common Whitetail, Libellula (Plathemis) lydia Common Whitetail, Libellula (Plathemis) lydia Unknown sp. Great Blue Skimmer, Libellula vibrans Ebony Jewelwing, Calopteryx maculata Dusky Dancer, Argia translata Powdered Dancer, Argia moesta Needham’s Skimmer, Libellula needhami How to Study Dragonflies & Damselflies Close-focus Binoculars Field Guide

Dunkle 2000

Digital Camera Equipment, Supplies and Books For Entomology and Related Sciences 2321 Gladwick Street Rancho Dominguez, CA 90220, USA Phone: (310) 667-8800 Fax: (310) 667-8808 Office Hours: 8:00AM - 5:00PM Pacific Time Mon. - Fri. BioQuip e-mail Directory

http://www.bioquip.com/default.asp When? Species MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC All Season Long Common Green Darner Spring Common Baskettail Common Whitetail Eastern Forktail Early Summer Familiar Bluet Ebony Jewelwing Slaty Skimmer Unicorn Clubtail Mid Summer Widow Skimmer Twelve-spotted Skimmer Blue Dasher Eastern Pondhawk Black Saddlebags Calico Pennant Halloween Pennant Clamp-tailed Emerald Late Summer Wandering Glider Shadow Darner White-faced Meadowhawk Ruby Meadowhawk Cherry-faced Meadowhawk Late Fall Yellow-legged Meadowhawk Flight Seasons Where? Arden Brook Where? Ramapo River Where? Lily Pond Where? Cheesecote Mountain Pond Where? Goose Pond Mountain Dragonflies and Damselflies of Southeastern New York

Broad-winged Damsels

North America 9 species

New Jersey 5 species

New York 6 species Spreadwings

North America 19 species

New Jersey 11 species

New York 11 species Pond Damsels

North America 116 species

New Jersey 38 species

New York 41 species