Many dragonflies are an ID challenge, but nothing compared to the Damselflies.
In addition to
Stokes Beginners Guide to Dragonflies and
Dragonflies and Damselflies of the East by Dennis Paulson, a very good, and essential, resource is
Damselflies of the Northeast by Ed Lam.
By way of illustrating the challenge of Damselfly ID, each species in this guide is accompanied by a symbol indicating the level of observation usually required for a damselfly to be identified to species:
- in the field
- in the hand
- under the microscope
That said, the challenge of the damselflies is a rewarding one - these creatures are small, delicate, require alertness to see, and are often breathtakingly beautiful
Ebony Jewelwing -
Calopterys maculata, 2.0" - Broadwing family
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| Ebony Jewelwing - female |
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| Ebony Jewelwing - male |
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Variable Dancer - Argia fumipennis, 1.2" - Pond Damsel family
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| Variable Dancer - male |
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| Variable Dancer - female |
Eastern Forktail - Ischnura verticalis, 1.1" - Pond Damsel family
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| Eastern Forktail |
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| Eastern Forktail |
Northern Bluet - Enallagma cyathigerum, 1.4" - Pond Damsel family (Note: Bluets are tough - hope I got this right)
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| Northern Bluet |
