Wild About Illinois Damselflies!

Dragonflies and damselflies are insects in the Order Odonata. They have two pairs of long, membranous wings with many veins in them. The forewings and hindwings are usually similar in size but in some species the hindwing is broader at the base than the forewing. The abdomen is long and thin. The eyes are compound and very large in relation to the size of the head. The antennae are short and hairlike. The mouthparts are for chewing, and these insects are predators. The life cycle consists of egg, nymph and adult.

Nymphs are aquatic. They eat insects and other small animals. Depending upon the species, their gills are either in the rectum or external at the tip of the abdomen.

Adults are accomplished fliers that may travel many miles from their aquatic habitat. They often fly paired, with the male holding the female by the head or thorax with appendages at the tip of his abdomen. Eggs are either laid on aquatic plants or washed from the female’s abdomen into the water. The adults feed on insects that they catch in flight.

The forewings and hindwings in damselflies are nearly the same in size and shape. Most damselflies hold their wings closed above the body when at rest. The abdomen is extremely thin. The males have four appendages at the tip of the abdomen. The female has an ovipositor. Nymphs have three external gills at the tip of the abdomen.

​​Kingdom: Animalia - Animals are multicellular organisms that rely on other organisms for nourishment. Their cells do not have cell walls. Most animals are capable of movement at least in some portion of their life cycle. Reproduction is generally sexual, but in some animals asexual reproduction may be utilized at certain times.
Phylum: Arthropoda - Arthropods have an external skeleton, a segmented body and jointed appendages. They are covered with a cuticle made of chitin. The cuticle is hard and must be molted, or shed, for the animal to be able to grow. Compound and simple eyes are present. They have an open circulatory system. There are nearly 28,000 types of arthropods known from Illinois. They are represented in all Illinois habitats.
Class: Insecta - Insects have three body divisions, the head, thorax and abdomen. They usually have three pairs of legs and two pairs of wings. Legs and wings are positioned on the thorax. Most insects have one pair of antennae. A few insect species have no antennae.
Order: Odonata - Dragonflies and damselflies have a long body and four long, thin wings. When not being used for flight, the wings are held flat out from the body or above the body. The eyes are very large while the antennae are tiny.
Family: Calopterygidae - The broad-winged damselflies hold their wings together above the body when at rest. The wing shape gradually narrows toward its base. The forewings and hindwings are similar in shape and size. The wings are usually either black or with black marks or clear with a red spot at the base. The abdomen is very thin. The male has four appendages at the tip of abdomen. The female has an ovipositor. Nymphs have three gills at the tip of the abdomen. These damselflies live along streams.
     river jewelwing (Calopteryx aequabilis)
     ebony jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata)
     American rubyspot (Hetaerina americana)
     smoky rubyspot (Hetaerina titia)

Family: Coenagrionidae - The narrow-winged damselflies hold their wings together above the body when at rest. The wings are clear. Their abdomen is very thin. The male has four appendages at the tip of abdomen. The female has an ovipositor. Nymphs have three gills at the tip of the abdomen. Most of the species are about an inch or slightly more in length. This large group contains many colorful species. Males and females of numerous species are different colors, with the males more brightly colored. Most of the members of this family live around ponds and swamps, but some live along streams.
     red damsel complex (Amphiagrion abbreviatum/saucium)
     blue-fronted dancer (Argia apicalis)
     violet dancer (Argia fumipennis violacea)
     powdered dancer (Argia moesta)
     springwater dancer (Argia plana)
     blue-ringed dancer (Argia sedula)
     blue-tipped dancer (Argia tibialis)
     dusky dancer (Argia translata)
     Aurora damsel (Chromagrion conditum)
     taiga bluet (Coenagrion resolutum)
     river bluet (Enallagma anna)
     rainbow bluet (Enallagma antennatum)
     azure bluet (Enallagma aspersum)
     double-striped bluet (Enallagma basidens)
     Boreal bluet (Enallagma boreale)
     Tule bluet (Enallagma carunculatum)
     familiar bluet (Enallagma civile)
     turquoise bluet (Enallagma divagans)
     marsh bluet (Enallagma ebrium)
     stream bluet (Enallagma exsulans)
     skimming bluet (Enallagma geminatum)
     Hagen's bluet (Enallagma hageni)
     orange bluet (Enallagma signatum)
     slender bluet (Enallagma traviatum)
     vesper bluet (Enallagma vesperum)
     citrine forktail (Ischnura hastata)
     lilypad forktail (Ischnura kellicotti)
     fragile forktail (Ischnura posita)
     Rambur's forktail (Ischnura ramburii)
     eastern forktail (Ischnura verticalis)
     sedge sprite (Nehalennia irene)
     duckweed firetail (Telebasis byersi)

Family: Lestidae - The spread-winged damselflies do not hold the wings together above the back when at rest. The wings are clear and have a stalk at the base. Their abdomen is very thin. The male has four appendages at the tip of abdomen. The female has an ovipositor. Nymphs have three gills at the tip of the abdomen. The adults are usually between one and one-fourth and two inches in length. Spread-winged damselflies live around ponds and swamps.
     great spreadwing (Archilestes grandis)
     southern spreadwing (Lestes australis)
     spotted spreadwing (Lestes congener)
     northern spreadwing (Lestes disjunctus)
     emerald spreadwing (Lestes dryas)
     amber-winged spreadwing (Lestes eurinus)
     sweetflag spreadwing (Lestes forcipatus)
     elegant spreadwing (Lestes inaequalis)
     slender spreadwing (Lestes rectangularis)
     lyre-tipped spreadwing (Lestes unguiculatus)
     swamp spreadwing (Lestes vigilax)