Damselflies and Dragonflies

DAMSELFLIES AND DRAGONFLIES

of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed

A GALLERY OF THE DAMSELFLIES AND DRAGONFLIES

of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed

Classified using traditional taxonomic ranks.

Domain-Eukaryota

Kingdom-Animalia

Phylum-Arthropoda

Class-Insecta

Order-Odonata

Suborder-Zygoptera (Damselflies)

Family-Coenagrionidae

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Blue-fronted Dancer — Argia apicalis, a male Blue-fronted Dancer.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Blue-fronted Dancer — Argia apicalis, a male Blue-fronted Dancer.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Blue-fronted Dancer — Argia apicalis, a Blue-fronted Dancer.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Blue-fronted Dancer — Argia apicalis, a teneral Blue-fronted Dancer.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Variable Dancers — Argia fumipennis, Variable Dancers in tandem, a male (left) clasping a female (right).

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Powdered Dancer — Argia moesta, a male Powdered Dancer.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Powdered Dancer — Argia moesta, a male Powdered Dancer.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Powdered Dancer — Argia moesta, a female Powdered Dancer.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Powdered Dancer — Argia moesta, a female Powdered Dancer (blue form).

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Powdered Dancer — Argia moesta, a Powdered Dancer.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Dusky Dancers — Argia translata, Dusky Dancers in tandem, a male (left) clasping a female (right).

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Familiar Bluet — Enallagma civile, a mature male Familiar Bluet.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Familiar Bluets — Enallagma civile, Familiar Bluets in tandem, a male (left) clasping a female (right).

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Familiar Bluets — Enallagma civile, Familiar Bluets in tandem, a male (right) clasping a female (left).

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Familiar Bluet — Enallagma civile, Familiar Bluets, a male (right) and a female (left) preparing to mate.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Familiar Bluet — Enallagma civile, Familiar Bluets, a male (right) and a female (left) in wheel position.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Stream Bluet — Enallagma exsulans, a male Stream Bluet.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Orange Bluets — Enallagma signatum, Orange Bluets, a male (above) and a female (below) in wheel position.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Orange Bluets — Enallagma signatum, Orange Bluets in tandem, a male (left) clasping a female (right).

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Orange Bluets — Enallagma signatum, Orange Bluets on a floating plant stem, multiple pairs in tandem, males clasping females.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: immature Orange Bluet — Enallagma signatum, an immature Orange Bluet.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Fragile Forktail — Ischnura posita, a male Fragile Forktail.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Fragile Forktails — Ischnura posita, Fragile Forktails, a male (above) and female (below), in wheel position.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Fragile Forktail — Ischnura posita, a female Fragile Forktail ovipositing.

Dragonflies and Damselflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Fragile Forktail nymph — Ischnura posita, a Fragile Forktail nymph.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Eastern Forktail — Ischnura verticalis, a male Eastern Forktail.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Eastern Forktail — Ischnura verticalis, a male Eastern Forktail.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Eastern Forktail — Ischnura verticalis, an immature female Eastern Forktail.

Family-Calopterygidae

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Ebony Jewelwing — Calopteryx maculata, a male Ebony Jewelwing.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Ebony Jewelwing — Calopteryx maculata, a male Ebony Jewelwing.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Ebony Jewelwing — Calopteryx maculata, a female Ebony Jewelwing.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: American Rubyspot — Hetaerina americana, a male American Rubyspot.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: American Rubyspot — Hetaerina americana, a female American Rubyspot.

Family-Lestidae

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Southern Spreadwing — Lestes australis, a Southern Spreadwing.

Suborder-Epiprocta

Infraorder-Anisoptera (Dragonflies)

Family-Aeshnidae

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Shadow Darner — Aeshna umbrosa, Shadow Darners copulating, a male (left) and a female (right).

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Shadow Darner — Aeshna umbrosa, a mature female Shadow Darner.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Shadow Darner — Aeshna umbrosa, a female Shadow Darner ovipositing.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Shadow Darner — Aeshna umbrosa, a Shadow Darner beginning ecdysis, the final molt from its larval skin known as the exuvia.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Shadow Darner — Aeshna umbrosa, a Shadow Darner imago drying its wings just after its final molt.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Common Green Darner — Anax junius, the Common Green Darner.

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Common Green Darner — Anax junius, the Common Green Darner (and a Familiar Bluet).

Damselflies and Dragonflies of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: Swamp Darner — Epiaeschna heros, a female Swamp Darner ovipositing.

Family-Gomphidae

Arigomphus villosipes, the Unicorn Clubtail. The aqua-blue eyes are unique to central-Pennsylvania populations of this species.

Arigomphus villosipes, the Unicorn Clubtail.

Dromogomphus spinosus, the Black-shouldered Spinyleg.

Dromogomphus spinosus, the Black-shouldered Spinyleg.

Dromogomphus spinosus, the Black-shouldered Spinyleg.

Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis, the Rusty Snaketail.

Phanogomphus exilis, Lancet Clubtails, a male (above) and a female (below) in wheel position.

Family-Corduliidae

Cordulia shurtleffii, a male American Emerald.

Cordulia shurtleffii, a male American Emerald.

Cordulia shurtleffii, the American Emerald.

Epitheca princeps, the Prince Baskettail.

Family-Libellulidae

Celithemis elisa, a mature male Calico Pennant.

Celithemis eponina, a male Halloween Pennant.

Celithemis eponina, the Halloween Pennant.

Erythemis simplicicollis, a male Eastern Pondhawk.

Erythemis simplicicollis, the Eastern Pondhawk.

Erythemis simplicicollis, the Eastern Pondhawk.

Libellula cyanea, a male Spangled Skimmer.

Libellula incesta, a male Slaty Skimmer.

Libellula incesta, a male Slaty Skimmer.

Libellula incesta, a female Slaty Skimmer.

Libellula luctuosa, a male Widow Skimmer.

Libellula luctuosa, a female Widow Skimmer.

Libellula pulchella, a male Twelve-spotted Skimmer.

Libellula pulchella, a female Twelve-spotted Skimmer.

Libellula vibrans, a male Great Blue Skimmer.

Libellula vibrans, a male Great Blue Skimmer.

Libellula vibrans, the Great Blue Skimmer.

Libellula vibrans, Great Blue Skimmers, a male (left) and a female (right) in wheel position.

Pachydiplax longipennis a male Blue Dasher.

Pantala flavescens, a male Wandering Glider.

Pantala flavescens, a female Wandering Glider.

Perithemis tenera, a male Eastern Amberwing.

Perithemis tenera, a male Eastern Amberwing.

Perithemis tenera, a female Eastern Amberwing.

Plathemis lydia, a male Common Whitetail.

Plathemis lydia, a female Common Whitetail.

Tramea carolina, the Carolina Saddlebags.

Tramea carolina, the Carolina Saddlebags.

Tramea lacerata, a male Black Saddlebags.

Tramea lacerata, a female Black Saddlebags.

Tramea lacerata, the Black Saddlebags.

Tramea lacerata, a pair of Black Saddlebags in tandem, a male (right) clasping a female (left).

SOURCES

Dunkle, Sidney W. 2000. Dragonflies Through Binoculars: A Field Guide to Dragonflies of North America. Oxford University Press. New York, NY.

Paulsen, Dennis. 2011. Dragonflies and Damselflies of the East. Princeton University Press. Princeton, NJ.