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1a. Slender-bodied; eyes farther apart than one
diameter; wings held together over abdomen when
perched (open slightly in one family); front and
hind wings similar in shape; usually weak fliers;
oviposit into plant tissue.
|
Suborder ZYGOPTERA, (The Damselflies), not covered
in this publication. |
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| 1b. Heavy-bodied;eyes closer together than one
diameter (touching in most species); wings always
held wide open when perched; hind wings much broader
near base than fore wings; usually strong fliers;
usually oviposit into water (one family oviposits
into plant tissue). |
(2) Suborder ANISOPTERA, (The Dragonflies) |
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| 2a. Eyes widely separated on top of head. |
(3) |
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| 2b. Eyes just touching or broadly meeting. |
(4) |
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| 3a. Large gray and black dragonfly longer than
70mm; usually perches vertically on tree trunks; long,
narrow, ribbon-like stigma; oviposits in wet leaves
or mud in spring seeps. |
PETALURIDAE, (The Petaltails), 1 KS species: Tachopteryx
thoreyi (Gray Petaltail) |
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| 3b. Mostly green, gray, and/or brown with some
black and yellow; end of abdomen enlarged in most
species; usually perch horizontally on the ground
or vegetation; do not swarm or oviposit in tandem. |
GOMPHIDAE, (The Clubtails), 18 KS species |
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| 4a. Eyes barely touching at a single point; >70
mm long; black & yellow with two stripes on side of thorax and spear-shaped marks on top
of abdomen; females with spike-like ovipositors that
they thrust vertically into the substrate. |
CORDULEGASTRIDAE,
(TheSpiketails), 1 KS species: Cordulegasterobliqua (Arrowhead Spiketail)
|
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| 4b. Eyes in contact more broadly |
(5) |
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| 5a. Triangles in fore and hind wings same distance
from arculus; 2 thickened antenodal cross veins; large;
abdomen brown or black spotted with blue and yellow
or solid blue or red; oviposit into plant tissue;
bladed ovipositors; perch by hanging vertically from
vegetation; constant fliers; often swarm to feed;
some species migrate in swarms. |
AESHNIDAE, (The Darners), 9 KS species |
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| 5b. Triangle in hind wing closer to arculus than
triangle in fore wing; no thickened antenodal cross
veins; generally smaller; females oviposit into water. |
(6) |
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|
| 6a. Anal loop of hind wing short, wide
and rounded; robust; brown or black with a single
yellow stripe around the thorax; eyes in contact on
top of the head for a short distance; emerald green
eyes as adults (but can mate before eyes become green);
flyrelentlessly-often along roads
to feed; males patrol territories along banks of streams
or wave-swept shores; females oviposit by dragging
abdomen tip in water while flying. |
CORDUUIDAE: MACROMIINAE, (The Cruisers), 4 KS species |
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| 6b. Anal loop elongate; comprising two rows of
cells. |
(7) |
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| 7a. Anal loop clubshaped on end but without a
distinctive toe-shape; medium-sized, slender and dark;
often with metallic iridescence on body and emerald
green eyes; often difficult to see because they occur
briefly or fly short periods during the day; fast,
erratic flight; one genus crepuscular. |
CORDUUIDAE: CORDULIINAE, (The Emeralds), 9 KS species |
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| 7b. Anal loop foot-shaped and with distinctive
toe; most common of the families; most often found
around still waters; never with metallic colors; often
with patterned wings; perchers that frequently alight
on twigs and vegetation; intermittently glide while
flying; females drop eggs into the water, ovipositing
alone or in tandem. |
LIBELLULIDAE, (The Skimmers), 38 KS species |
