Dragonflies and damselflies are abundant in the Arboretum. While most visitors would expect to find these insects near the water filled habitats, we also see many dragonflies hunting over the prairies. This is a beautiful and diverse group of animals and many can be identified “on the wing” or from photographs if you are lucky enough to find one sitting still long enough.
A good reference guide is Dragonflies through Binoculars; A field Guide to Dragonflies of North America, by Sidney Dunkle. Also visit the Rice County Odonata web site, developed by Scott King, who has also provided the following list of species he has recorded from the Arboretum. Once at the Rice County Odonata site, click on “sites” in the upper right hand corner to find the list of species from the Arboretum and other sites in our area.
Zygoptera
Calopterygidae – the Jewelwings
Coenagrionidae – the Narrow-winged Damselflies
Anisoptera
48 recorded species. Areas surveyed include the Cannon River, its floodplain ponds, restored prairies, the twin Lyman Lakes, and the small tributary Spring Creek.
Suborder: Zygoptera
Family: Calopterygidae, “the Jewelwings”
Calopteryx aequabilis • River Jewelwing
Calopteryx maculata • Ebony Jewelwing
Hetaerina americana • American Rubyspot
Family: Lestidae, “the Spreadwings”
Archilestes grandis • Great Spreadwing
Lestes rectangularis • Slender Spreadwing
Lestes unguiculatus • Lyre-tipped Spreadwing
Family: Coenagrionidae, “the Narrow-winged Damselflies”
Argia apicalis • Blue-fronted Dancer
Argia moesta • Powdered Dancer
Argia tibialis • Blue-tipped Dancer
Amphiagrion intermediate • Red Damsel
Coenagrion resolutum • Taiga Bluet
Enallagma anna • River Bluet
Enallagma antennatum • Rainbow Bluet
Enallagma boreale • Boreal Bluet
Enallagma civile • Familiar Bluet
Enallagma exsulans • Stream Bluet
Enallagma hageni • Hagen’s Bluet
Enallagma signatum • Orange Bluet
Ischnura verticalis • Eastern Forktail
Nehalennia irene • Sedge Sprite
Suborder: Anisoptera
Family: Aeshnidae, “the Darners”
Aeshna canadensis • Canada darner
Aeshna constricta • Lance-tipped Darner
Aeshna interrupta • Variable Darner
Aeshna umbrosa • Shadow Darner
Anax junius • Common Green Darner
Family: Gomphidae,” the Clubtails”
Arigomphus cornutus • Horned Clubtail
Gomphus externus • Plains Clubtail
Gomphus fraternus fraternus • Midland Clubtail
Gomphus fraternus manitobanus • Midland Clubtail
Gomphus vastus • Cobra Clubtail
Stylurus amnicola • Riverine Clubtail
Family: Corduliidae, “The Emeralds and the Baskettails”
Dorocordulia libera • Racket-tailed Emerald
Epitheca cynosura • Common Baskettail
Epitheca princeps • Prince Baskettail
Family: Libellulidae, “The Skimmers and the Meadowhawks”
Erythemis simplicicollis • Eastern Pondhawk
Leucorrhinia intacta • Dot-tailed Whiteface
Libellula luctuosa • Widow Skimmer
Libellula pulchella • Twelve-spotted Skimmer
Libellula quadrimaculata • Four-spotted Skimmer
Pachydiplax longipennis • Blue Dasher
Pantala flavescens • Wandering Glider
Perithemis tenera • Eastern Amberwing
Plathemis lydia • Common Whitetail
Sympetrum corruptum • Variegated Meadowhawk
Sympetrum costiferum • Saffron-winged Meadowhawk
Sympetrum internum • Cherry-faced Meadowhawk
Sympetrum obtrusum • White-faced Meadowhawk
Sympetrum rubicundulum • Ruby Meadowhawk
Sympetrum vicinum • Autumn Meadowhawk