Damselflies (Zygoptera) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Damselflies are slender insects with large eyes set widely apart on the head. They live around ponds and streams and include tiny blue species as well as broad-winged species with dark or ruby-colored wings.

In this group

Familiar BluetEnallagma civile

One of the most widespread North American damselflies, it is about 1–1.5 in (28–39 mm) long and often occurs around ponds and slow water.

Ebony JewelwingCalopteryx maculata

This eastern stream species is 1.5–2.25 in (39–57 mm) long. Males combine an iridescent green body with nearly black wings, while females have a white wing spot.

Fragile ForktailIschnura posita

This small eastern species averages about 1 in (25 mm). A male's broken shoulder stripe often looks like an exclamation mark.

Appearance

Appearance: Colors range from blue and green to red, bronze, and black. Newly d adults are often pale, and many species change color as they mature.
How to recognize it: Damselflies usually have slender bodies, widely separated eyes, and forewings and hind wings of similar shape. Most rest with their wings together over the abdomen, although broad-winged species are notable exceptions.

Look-alikes

DragonfliesAnisoptera

Damselflies usually have slimmer bodies and similarly shaped front and hind wings. Dragonflies have broader hind-wing bases. Resting wing position varies among damselfly families.

Why they get mixed upBoth are with four wings and aquatic young.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: ponds and wetlands
streams and rivers
waterside vegetation
Range: Damselflies occur around freshwater habitats worldwide. In the United States, familiar bluets and forktails are common around ponds, while jewelwings and rubyspots are often associated with flowing water.
Preferred conditions: need freshwater, while females lay eggs in water or in plants at its edge. Adults are often easiest to see among shoreline vegetation.

Behavior

Diet: Adults and nymphs are predators. Adults catch small flying insects, while aquatic nymphs take mosquito larvae and other small water animals.
Activity: Adults often fly low over the water or perch on stems. Their flight is usually lighter and more fluttering than that of dragonflies.
Overwintering: The overwintering stage and length of development vary widely by species and climate.

Life cycle

Reproduction: Females place eggs in water, wet plant tissue, or other sites at the water's edge. Aquatic nymphs molt repeatedly, then climb onto vegetation or rocks and emerge as winged adults.

Name and classification

Group name: Damselflies are the suborder Zygoptera within Odonata. The name covers both narrow-winged pond damsels and broad-winged jewelwings, not just the smallest threadlike species.
Number of species: More than 3,000 species are recognized worldwide.

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