Calopteryx japonica is a metallic blue-green of clean streams in East Asia, including Japan and Korea. It does not live in the United States, but it belongs to the same genus as the jewelwings seen along American streams, such as the Ebony Jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata).
Appearance
- Appearance
- Abdomen about 1.7–1.9 in (42–47 mm). The body has a strong metallic green sheen. Males have dark blue-green wings with a purplish gloss; females have blackish-brown wings with a small white spot near each tip.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Clear, slow-flowing streams with water plants
- Range
- Japan, Korea, eastern China, and the Russian Far East. Not found in North America.
Behavior
- Diet
- Small insects.
- Activity
- In Korea, adults fly from about May to July; in Japan, mostly May to June. Like other jewelwings, it perches with its wings held together over its back and flutters slowly like a butterfly.
Life cycle
- Reproduction
- The female lays eggs alone into the stems of water plants, sometimes going completely underwater to do so.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
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