CALIFORNIA DAMSELFLIES

CALIFORNIA DAMSELFLIES CALIFORNIA DAMSELFLIES
AKA
CALIFORNIA ZYGOPTERA
Checklist provided by Ron Lyons
with COMMON NAMES OF DAMSELFLIES
as adopted by the Dragonfly Society of the Americas
(Argia, vol.8, no.2, 1 August 1996)

New links &/or information was added to this page or at least one of the family pages of
CA Damselflies on MARCH 27, 2000
The CA distribution maps were last updated on SEPTEMBER 11, 2000. Click here to access distribution in nearby states

I (Kathy Biggs) will be giving an evening program with slides, "The Dazzling Dragonflies of Sonoma County", on Monday, April 17th for Madrone Audubon in Santa Rosa. If you are interested in attending please email me for more information, including directions. All Madrone Audubon programs are open to the public and there is no admittance fee. At this program I will announce my summer dragonfly walks.

shortcut to Broad-winged Damselflies , or to Spreadwings, or to Pond Damsels, or to or to Dragonfly Families

Available this May (2000)!
Common DRAGONFLIES of California
A Beginner's Pocket Guide

by Kathy Biggs

To learn more about these fascinating insect's life cycle go to "Damsels and Dragons - the Insect Order Odonata". This article by Ron Lyons, which first appeared in the Internet Pond Society's "The Internet Ponder's Online Magazine", was written in 1997 for the "Critter's in Your Pond" column I was writing at the time.
A NEW SPECIES ADDED TO CA RECORDS 5-99!

Distribution Maps are maintained by Tim Manolis. They are based on information originally collected by Dennis Paulson (see address below) and they are now being updated by new sightings and specimens found in museum collections. If you find a species in a new county please contact Kathy and/or Tim.
Information for this site has been collected and edited by Kathy Biggs who assumes full responsibility.

This site was begun in 1997 because of my frustrations in trying to identify the damselflies that came to visit our garden pond. I discovered that there were no `identification guides' for the species found in California. Therefore I began searching the Internet, libraries and museums for checklists, photographs and information. I want to especially thank Ron Lyons who made available the Checklist of CA Species and who was a great beginning `tutor' in all things Odonata, and Dennis Paulson of Washington, who along with Rosser Garrison did the research to create the information used in Ron's list and who has been invaluable to me in learning about these fascinating insects. Also of great encouragement and help have been these other experts, any of which I'm certain would also be willing to help you if you have questions: Andy Rehn of UCDavis, CA, The staff at the California Academy of Science's Department of Entomology, Roy Beckemeyer of Kansas, Bob Barber of New Jersey and Mark O'Brien of Michigan. I'd of course also like to thank all of the photographers. Both those who have allowed me to link to their sites in the web sites photo column. And those who have sent me their photographs &/or jpegs to use on the website. Their photos have made learning to identify dragonflies and damselflies possible.

The damselfly families with links indicated below have been found in California.
References to pictures are as follows:
Audubon Guide = Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders
CA Insects = California Insects by Jerry Powell and Charles Hogue
LA Insects = Insects of the Los Angeles Basin by Charles Hogue
Western Forest =The Audubon Society Nature Guides - Western Forest
Kansas Checklist = Checklist of Kansas Damselflies - The Kansas School Naturalist 1998
Dragonflies of Washington = Dragonflies of Washington by Dennis Paulson, Seattle Audubon Society 1999
* = photo/scan(s)/key available to see at this Internet website

Scientific Name Common Name
Archaic Name
Remarks/Description
Habitat/Flight Dates
Picture in book
*Photo/scan at website

ZYGOPTERA DAMELSFLIES
about 40 species representing 3 of the 5 American families
description: slender-bodied, generally smaller and frailer than dragonflies;
eyes set far apart, farther apart than 1 diameter;
appear hammer headed;
wings held together over abdomen when perched
males have a bump under their second abdominal segment which is their genitalia;
four terminal abdominal appendages which include sexual claspers;
often blue and black patterned
females have a wide ovipositor on the lower end of their abdomen;
only two terminal abdominal appendages
usually duller colored than males, often tan and black patterned;
behavior: when perched, wings are usually held together sail- like over their abdomen;
weak flyers, usually found not too far from water;
oviposit into plant tissue

Sketch by Barbara Chasteen
*Key to larva in Michigan, UMMZ
The Emergence of a Damselfly provided by An Ottawa Valley Naturalist

FAMILY Calopterygidae
Broad-winged Damselflies
New links
&/or information
was added to this site
on MARCH 22, 2000
2 CA genera
sizes: large, lengths 25 - 51 mm
description: wings broaden gradually from the base;
bodies green or black

Photo by Ken Wilson
*Key to larva in Michigan, UMMZ

FAMILY Lestidae
Spreadwings
New links
&/or information
was added at this site
on MARCH 22, 2000
2 CA genera
sizes: medium to large, slender, 31- 62 mm
description: clear wings that narrow to stalks at base;
wings held spread when at rest
males: dark with blues, greens;
blue eyes; pruinose pale area near tip;
some show more extensive pruinosity
females: stouter, less colorful
behaviors: unique posture - hold their wings mostly open (but not flat) when at rest, (like stealth bombers)
habitat: mostly found in mountain ponds, marshes, & streams

Photo by Bob Claypole
*Key to larva in Michigan, UMMZ

THE END OF CALIFORNIA DAMSELFLY FAMILY LINK PAGE!

FAMILY Coenagrionidae
Pond Damsels
aka Stalk-winged or Narrow-winged
New links
&/or information
was added at this site
on MARCH 22, 2000
8 CA genera - totaling 30 species
sizes: mostly small, some med.; lengths 20 - 47 mm
description: males and some females brightly colored;
usually blue and black with varying degrees of blue on abdomens;
clear wings with small stigma are narrow at base
females: more stout than males;
most are tan where the males are blue but some are colored male-like
behavior: wings held sail-like over abdomen when perched
habitats: quite variable, still waters, quiet streams

Photo by James Lasswell
CA Insects-p46 #19, 20
Audubon Guide- naiad pl. 35 &39
*Key to larva in Michigan, UMMZ

Available this May (2000)!
Common DRAGONFLIES of California
A Beginner's Pocket Guide

by Kathy Biggs
Includes damselflies

click here to go to CA Dragonflies

Send e-mail to Kathy Biggs if you would like to request a field list of California Odonata that you can down load
(Word 7.0 doc 32K)

For help in identifying CA Odonata, I would refer you to a "FIELD KEY TO ADULT WASHINGTON DRAGONFLIES" by Dennis R. Paulson. This key includes damselflies. Until a CA key exists, the WA key is the `closest to home' and has many of the same species. (There is one OLD key using wing venation and sexual appendages in "Aquatic Insects of California" by Unsinger, but this has been out of print for several years. The California Library system should have copies of Unsinger's book available for in-library reference work).

To learn more about these fascinating insects I refer you to Ron Lyon's informative site:
Damsels and Dragons - the Insect Order Odonata.

Click here to go to the Biggs's Wildlife Pond
or
here to go to the Biggs's Pond Wildlife Sightings List with links to photos of some of our visitors
or
Click here to see pictures of the Biggs's pond and its development.
If you have any corrections or additions to this list please send e-mail to Kathy Biggs

*Scientific Name* Common Name Archaic Name	Remarks/Description Habitat/Flight Dates	Picture in book *Photo/scan at website

*ZYGOPTERA* DAMELSFLIES	about 40 species representing 3 of the 5 American families description: slender-bodied, generally smaller and frailer than dragonflies; eyes set far apart, farther apart than 1 diameter; appear hammer headed; wings held together over abdomen when perched males have a bump under their second abdominal segment which is their genitalia; four terminal abdominal appendages which include sexual claspers; often blue and black patterned females have a wide ovipositor on the lower end of their abdomen; only two terminal abdominal appendages usually duller colored than males, often tan and black patterned; behavior: when perched, wings are usually held together sail- like over their abdomen; weak flyers, usually found not too far from water; oviposit into plant tissue	Sketch by Barbara Chasteen Key to larva in Michigan, UMMZ The Emergence of a Damselfly provided by An Ottawa Valley Naturalist*

FAMILY Calopterygidae Broad-winged Damselflies New links &/or information was added to this site on MARCH 22, 2000	2 CA genera sizes: large, lengths 25 - 51 mm description: wings broaden gradually from the base; bodies green or black	Photo by Ken Wilson *Key to larva in Michigan, UMMZ

FAMILY Coenagrionidae Pond Damsels aka Stalk-winged or Narrow-winged New links &/or information was added at this site on MARCH 22, 2000	8 CA genera - totaling 30 species sizes: mostly small, some med.; lengths 20 - 47 mm description: males and some females brightly colored; usually blue and black with varying degrees of blue on abdomens; clear wings with small stigma are narrow at base females: more stout than males; most are tan where the males are blue but some are colored male-like behavior: wings held sail-like over abdomen when perched habitats: quite variable, still waters, quiet streams	Photo by James Lasswell CA Insects-p46 #19, 20 Audubon Guide- naiad pl. 35 &39 *Key to larva in Michigan, UMMZ