Odonata (Dragonflies & Damselflies)
Both dragonflies and damselflies belong to the ancient order, Odonata (toothed ones). Within this order are two distinct sub-orders; Anisoptera, the dragonflies and Zygoptera, the damselflies. These are easily distinguished from each other in numerous ways. In dragonflies, except clubtails, the eyes meet or nearly meet in the middle of the head, whereas damselflies have widely separated eyes. Dragonflies, when perched, hold their wings horizontally while damselflies fold them over their backs. Both can move their wings independently of each other giving them greater control in flight, though dragonflies have strong, sustained flight and damselflies are more weak and fluttery. Also, damselflies are smaller and more slender than their more robust cousins.
Both dragonflies and damselflies have formidable mandibles for eating any insect they can catch with their legs, from mosquitoes to beetles to other odonates. Their compound eyes, along with three little ocelli or simple eyes allow them to see in almost 360 degrees. Scientists believe that 80% of the odonate brain is used for visual information. Hence, the difficulty in netting them and their 98% catch rate.
Sex is both unique and challenging for these insects. Claspers at the end of the males, though slightly different in both dragonflies and damselflies, serve the same purpose, to catch and hold the female. The sexual genitals in both genders are uniquely designed to act as a lock and key. Though some males will try to breed outside their species, it is invariably doomed to failure. They just don’t fit.
Unlike butterflies that go through a four stage metamorphosis, dragonflies and damselflies go through a three stage, incomplete metamorphosis: egg, larva and adult dragonfly. Most of its life is spent as a voracious nymph hunting underwater in streams, lakes and ponds. As the nymph grows it sheds its skin numerous times (instars). The nymph stage, depending on species and location can last from a few months to 8 years, though in most North American species, only from one season to the next. Just before its last instar, the nymph goes into diapause or a rest period where the last changes in its body, such as the wings, are completed. It then crawls out onto the stem of a plant or onto a rock or tree trunk and completes its life cycle by freeing its now tranformed adult body from the old nymph skin. After hardening its wings with hemolymph (blood) and letting them dry, the teneral dragonfly or damselfy flies off and begins its new life as an adult.
Dragonflies and Damselflies of the Kingston Study Area
This is a verified list of dragonfly and damselfly species observed in the Kingston Study Area (a 50 km radius circle centered on the peak of Murney Tower). Some species outside of the Kingston Study Area have been included, notably from Menzel Centennial Provincial Nature Reserve.| Common Name | Scientific Name | Family | Earliest | Latest | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Jewelwing | Calopteryx aequabilis | Calopterygidae | 2022 | ||
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | Calopterygidae | 2022 | ||
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | Lestidae | 2022 | ||
| Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | Lestidae | 2022 | ||
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | Lestidae | 2022 | ||
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | Lestidae | 2022 | ||
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | Lestidae | 2022 | ||
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | Lestidae | 2022 | ||
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | Lestidae | 2022 | ||
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | Lestidae | 2022 | ||
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | Lestidae | 2022 | ||
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | Coenagrionidae | 2022 | ||
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | Coenagrionidae | 2022 | ||
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | Coenagrionidae | 2022 | ||
| Taiga Bluet | Coenagrion resolutum | Coenagrionidae | 2022 | ||
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | Coenagrionidae | 2022 | ||
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | Coenagrionidae | 2022 | ||
| Northern Bluet | Enallagma annexum | Coenagrionidae | 2022 | ||
| Boreal Bluet | Enallagma boreale | Coenagrionidae | 2022 | ||
| Vernal Bluet | Enallagma vernale | Coenagrionidae | 2022 | ||
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | Coenagrionidae | 2022 | ||
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | Coenagrionidae | 2022 | ||
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | Coenagrionidae | 2022 | ||
| River Bluet | Enallagma anna | Coenagrionidae | |||
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | Coenagrionidae | 2022 | ||
| Marsh Bluet | Enallagma ebrium | Coenagrionidae | 2022 | ||
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | Coenagrionidae | 2022 | ||
| Hagen's Bluet | Enallagma hageni | Coenagrionidae | 2022 | ||
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | Coenagrionidae | 2022 | ||
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | Coenagrionidae | 2022 | ||
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | Coenagrionidae | |||
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | Coenagrionidae | 2022 | ||
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | Coenagrionidae | 2022 | ||
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | Coenagrionidae | 2022 | ||
| Sphagnum Sprite | Nehalennia qracilis | Coenagrionidae | |||
| Canada Darner | Aeshna canadensis | Aeshnidae | 2022 | ||
| Mottled Darner | Aeshna clepsydra | Aeshnidae | 2022 | ||
| Lake Darner | Aeshna eremita | Aeshnidae | 2022 | ||
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | Aeshnidae | 2022 | ||
| Variable Darner | Aeshna interrupta | Aeshnidae | |||
| Zig-zag Darner | Aeshna sitchensis | Aeshnidae | |||
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | Aeshnidae | 2022 | ||
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | Aeshnidae | 2022 | ||
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | Aeshnidae | |||
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | Aeshnidae | 2022 | ||
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | Aeshnidae | 2022 | ||
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | Aeshnidae | 2022 | ||
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | Aeshnidae | 2022 | ||
| Harlequin Darner | Gomphaeshna furcillata | Aeshnidae | 2022 | ||
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | Aeshnidae | 2022 | ||
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | Gomphidae | 2022 | ||
| Horned Clubtail | Arigomphus cornutus | Gomphidae | 2022 | ||
| Lilypad Clubtail | Arigomphus furcifer | Gomphidae | 2022 | ||
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | Gomphidae | 2022 | ||
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | Gomphidae | |||
| Dusky Clubtail | Phanogomphus spicatus | Gomphidae | 2022 | ||
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | Gomphidae | 2022 | ||
| Mustached Clubtail | Hylogomphus adelphus | Gomphidae | 2022 | ||
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | Gomphidae | 2022 | ||
| Rusty Snaketail | Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis | Gomphidae | 2022 | ||
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | Gomphidae | 2022 | ||
| Elusive Clubtail | Stylurus notatus | Gomphidae | |||
| Delta-spotted Spiketail | Cordulegaster diastatops | Cordulegastridae | 2022 | ||
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Cordulegaster maculata | Cordulegastridae | 2022 | ||
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Cordulegaster obliqua | Cordulegastridae | |||
| Stream Cruiser | Didymops transversa | Macromiidae | 2022 | ||
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | Macromiidae | |||
| American Emerald | Cordulia shurtleffi | Corduliidae | 2022 | ||
| Racket-tailed Emerald | Dorocordulia libera | Corduliidae | 2022 | ||
| Beaverpond Baskettail | Epitheca canis | Corduliidae | 2022 | ||
| Spiny Baskettail | Epitheca spinigera | Corduliidae | 2022 | ||
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | Corduliidae | 2022 | ||
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | Corduliidae | 2022 | ||
| Uhler's Sundragon | Helocordulia uhleri | Corduliidae | 2022 | ||
| Stygian Shadowdragon | NeurocorduIia yamaskanensls | Corduliidae | |||
| Kennedy's Emerald | Somatochlora kennedyi | Corduliidae | 2022 | Menzel Centennial only | |
| Brush-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora walshii | Corduliidae | 2022 | ||
| Williamson's Emerald | Somatochlora williamsoni | Corduliidae | 2022 | ||
| Ebony Boghaunter | Williamsonia fletcheri | Corduliidae | 2022 | Menzel Centennial only | |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | Libellulidae | 2022 | ||
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | Libellulidae | 2022 | ||
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | Libellulidae | 2022 | ||
| Chalk-fronted Corporal | Ladona julia | Libellulidae | 2022 | ||
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | Libellulidae | 2022 | ||
| Belted Whiteface | Leucorrhinia proxima | Libellulidae | 2022 | ||
| Frosted Whiteface | Leucorrhinia frigida | Libellulidae | 2022 | ||
| Hudsonian Whiteface | Leucorrhinia hudsonica | Libellulidae | 2022 | ||
| Crimson-ringed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia glacialis | Libellulidae | |||
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | Libellulidae | 2022 | ||
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | Libellulidae | 2022 | ||
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | Libellulidae | 2022 | ||
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | Libellulidae | 2022 | ||
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | Libellulidae | 2022 | ||
| Elfin Skimmer | Nannothemis bella | Libellulidae | 2022 | ||
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | Libellulidae | 2022 | ||
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | Libellulidae | 2022 | ||
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | Libellulidae | |||
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | Libellulidae | 2022 | ||
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | Libellulidae | 2022 | ||
| Saffron-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum costiferum | Libellulidae | |||
| Cherry-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum internum | Libellulidae | |||
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | Libellulidae | 2022 | ||
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | Libellulidae | |||
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | Libellulidae | 2022 | ||
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | Libellulidae | 2022 | ||
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | Libellulidae | |||
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | Libellulidae | 2022 | ||
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | Libellulidae | 2022 |