Calopteryx
(Agrion) aequibilis
(River Jewelwing)
Description:
Naiad-This
is a long, slender naiad, or immature
damselfly, about 1 ½ inches (35 - 40 mm) long. It also has very long legs. It
is light brown with dark markings.
Adult-This
is a large damselfly about 1 ¾ to
2 ¼ inches long (45 to 52 mm). The build is robust, especially in the females.
The color is an unmistakable iridescent green or blue. The outer third of the
wing is black.
Range:
This damselfly is found
from southern British Columbia to Nova Scotia and south to New Jersey, Colorado,
and Washington. In Idaho it is found at streams and rivers in the lower elevation
areas of the state.
Habitat:
This species is found
at streams and rivers.
Adult Flight Season:
June 18 to September8
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.
Ecology:
This damselfly is found
along large streams and rivers. The naiads live in underwater tree roots and
aquatic vegetation.
Reproduction:
The River Jewelwing
is the only dragonfly or damselfly species from our area in which the males
actually court the females. A male will flutter back and forth in front of a
perched female to attract her attention. After mating, the female backs down
the stem of an aquatic plant until she is a foot or more underwater, and lays
her eggs in the stem of the plant. She then floats or swims to the surface and
flies away. The eggs hatch in 18 to 30 days and the naiads take 2 to 3 years
to mature.
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 Unpublished M. S. thesis.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.