| 1a.
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). |
Suborder
ANISOPTERA, (The Dragonflies). Not covered in
this publication. (81 KS species. See Ref. 5 and p.
15 of this issue.) |
| 1b.
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 in plant tissue. |
(2)
Suborder ZYGOPTERA, (The Damselflies) - 40 KS
species |
| 2a.
Wings not petiolate; numerous antenodal and quadrangular
cross veins; wings pigmented with some black, brown
or red in males, black, brown or non-pigmented in females;
found along streams or in riparian habitats; perch horizontally
near water on twigs or vegetation; males quite territorial,
guarding females during oviposition; do not oviposit
in tandem. |
(3)
Calopterygidae (The Broadwinged Damselflies)
- 3 KS species |
| 3a.
Wings of male entirely black, of female dark brown with
a striking white stigma; no cross veins in space proximal
to arculus; body metallic green in reflected light (blue
when back-lit); shaded streams and wooded riparian areas;
females usually oviposit with tip of abdomen under water. |
Calopteryx
maculata (Ebony Jewelwing) |
| 3b.
Wings with brown or red markings; several cross veins
in space proximal to arculus; body with metallic sheen
that is red in males, green in females; often in vegetation
along more open areas of streams; males very territorial;
females descend underwater completely to oviposit. |
Hetaerina
sp. (Ruby spots) - 2 KS species |
| 4a.
Vein M3 separates from M1-2 nearer the arculus than
the nodus; stigma as long as diameter of eye; long legs
with tibial spurs longer than the space between them;
often perches with wings partially spread, usually clinging
to vertical stems with abdomen vertical or at an oblique
angle; usually oviposit in tandem into upright stems;
seem to prefer marshes or grassy ponds. |
(5)
Lestidae (The Spreadwing Damselflies) - 5 KS species |
| 4b.
Vein M3 separates from M1-2 nearer the nodus than the
arculus; stigma not as wide as diameter of eye; perches
with wings held together over back; often from vertical
stems but with body usually held horizontally. |
(6)
Coenagrionidae (The Pond Damselflies) - 32 KS species |
| 5a.
Vein M2 branches from M1 one cell distal to the nodus;
diagonal yellow stripe on side of thorax. |
Archilestes
grandis (Great Spreadwing) |
| 5b.
Vein M2 branches from M1 more than two cells distal
to the nodus; typically dull colors, dorsum of abdomen
usually dark; rear of head and thorax and basal and
terminal abdominal segments often become pruinose with
age. |
Lestes
sp. (Spreadwings) - 4 KS species |
| 6a.
Spurs on the tibia at least twice as long as the distance
between them; oviposit in tandem; often perch horizontally
on the ground. |
Argia
sp. (Dancers) - 10 KS species |
| 6b.
Spurs on the tibia barely longer than the distance between
them. Oviposit in tandem or alone; males may guard females
during oviposition. |
(7) |
| 7a.
No post-ocular spots on dorsum of head. |
(8) |
| 7b.
With round, oval or triangular postocular spots on dorsum
of head. |
(9) |
| 8a.
Male with black thorax, brick red abdomen with black
on dorsum of abdominal segments 8-10; female mostly
brown to reddish-brown and with prominent vulvar spine
under segment 8 just forward of the ovipositor; short
(about 1 inch long) with a "stout" appearance
compared to most other Pond Damsels; forehead rounded
in lateral view. |
Amphiagrion
sp. (Red Damsel) - 1 KS species |
| 8b.
Male with red abdomen and red-brown thorax with black
stripes; abdomen almost entirely red; female similar
to male but paler; females without a vulvar spine; in
lateral view there is a sharp angle between top and
front surfaces of the forehead. |
Telebasis
salva (Desert Firetail) |
| 9a.
Vein M2 arises nearest the 3rd postnodal vein in the
hind wing and the 4th postnodal vein in the fore wing. |
(10) |
| 9b.
Vein M2 arises near the 4th postnodal cross vein
in the hind wing and the 5th postnodal cross vein in
the fore wing. |
(11) |
| 10.
Male superior appendages not strongly directed downward;
males of most species blue with black markings, but
3 species are yellow or orange with black and blue/green
markings; females usually similar in color to males,
but usually lighter and often tan where males are blue
or green. |
Enallagma
sp. (Bluets) - 12 KS species |
| 11a.
Male blue with blue mid-dorsal carina dividing black
dorsal thoracic stripe and two black and two blue stripes
on sides of thorax; female similar in color but paler,
often more of a tan color. |
Enallagma
basidens (Doublestriped Bluet) |
| 11b.
Black dorsal thoracic stripe and mid-dorsal carina;
small to medium sized; males with a forked projection
on the dorsum of the tip of the abdomen; male superior
appendages strongly directed downward and inward; males
of most species with black and green head and thorax,
black dorsal abdomen, with yellow or blue markings (but
one species yellow-orange and black); some females have
form similar to male, some have more than one color
form (see photos of No. 3, Ischnura verticalis). |
Ischnura
sp. (Forktails) - 8 KS species |
