Amphiagrion
abbreviatum
(Western Red Damsel)
Description:
Naiad-This
is a small, somewhat stocky naiad ¾ inch (19 mm) long. The coloration is light
brown with dark brown markings.
Adult-This
is a small damselfly 1 to 1 ¼ inches
(26 to 28 mm) long. The build is stocky with short legs and abdomens. The males
are the only red damselflies in our area. The thorax is black. The females are
variable in color. They may be red and black colored very similarly to the males,
or they may be a uniform reddish-brown.
Range:
This species is found from
British Columbia east to Saskatchewan and south to Oklahoma, Nevada, and California.
In Idaho, it is found throughout the state.
Habitat:
This damselfly is usually
found at flooded meadows or shallow ponds with vegetation, such as sedges or
grasses, growing out of the water along the shore.
Adult Flight Season:
May 1 to August
24
Diet:
Naiad-Naiads
eat a wide variety of aquatic insects, including mosquito larvae, mayfly larvae,
and other aquatic fly larvae.
Adult-Adults
eat a wide variety of small soft-bodied flying insects, such as mosquitoes,
mayflies, flies and small moths. They will also pick small insects such as aphids
from plants.
Ecology:
This species is found
in a variety of habitats, but is usually associated with grasses or sedges that
extend out into the water. The adults stay close to the vegetation and rarely
fly out in the open.
Reproduction:
The female Western Red
Damsel oviposits either singly or in tandem, usually in floating mats of vegetation.
Conservation:
Populations
are widespread, abundant, and secure.
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Global Rank: | G5 |
State Rank: | S? |
References:
Corbet, P. S. 1999.
Dragonflies: Behavior and Ecology of Odonata. Cornell University Press, Ithaca,
New York, USA, 829pp.
Logan, E. R. 1967. The Odonata of Idaho. Unpublished M. S. thesis. University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA, 105 pp.
Needham, J. G. and M. J. Westfall. 1955. Dragonflies of North America. University of California Press, Berkely, California, USA, 615 pp.
Paulson, D. R. 1999. Dragonflies of Washington. Seattle Audubon Society, Seattle, Washington, USA, 32 pp.
Walker, E. M. and P. S. Corbet. 1975. The Odonata of Canada and Alaska, Vol. III. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 307 pp.