Minnesota Damselflies

Slender spreadwing (Lestes rectangularis) is one of the most common and one of the most easily recognized damselflies in Minnesota. It occurs in the United States from the East Coast to the Great Plains and in adjacent Canadian provinces. It is found in partially shaded areas in marshes, ponds, lakes, and still backwaters of slow streams.

Adults are about 1½″ to 2″ long. The male thorax is dark brown with yellow sides and wide blue or gray shoulder stripes. The abdomen is dark brown above, yellow on the sides, and extremely long, about twice as long as the wings. The wings are clear with a dark spot near the tip and a pale vein around the tip. The female is similar but has light brown shoulder stripes on the thorax and a shorter and stockier abdomen.

Photo by Dan W. Andree

Eastern forktail (Ischnura verticalis) is a small, narrow-winged damselfly. It occurs east of the Rocky Mountains from Quebec and Georgia in the east to Manitoba and New Mexico in the west. It is very common in the northeast and Midwest, present but uncommon in the southern tier of states. It is abundant in Minnesota, where it has been reported in 81 of the state’s 87 counties.

Eastern forktail has three color variations. Adult males are mostly black with green eye spots and pale blue shoulder stripes, sides of the thorax, and tip of the abdomen. Adult females are entirely pale powdery blue with larger blue eyespots and few other noticeable markings. Immature females are black with orange markings.

Eastern forktail may be the most common damselfly in our area, as it is reported to be in and around Chicago.

Photo by Alfredo Colon

Powdered dancer (Argia moesta) is a common and widespread, medium to large sized damselfly. At 1½″ to 1¾″ it is the largest dancer damselfly and the largest narrow-winged or pond damselfly. It can be found from early June to early September on streams and rivers with emergent rocks and large lakes with rocky shores.

Unlike American bluet damselflies, dancer damselflies are easy to identify in the field by their colors and the pattern of their markings. Powdered dancer is distinguished by the whitish pruinescence on the male, a characteristic unique among Minnesota damselflies. The female is similar to the blue-fronted dancer but is larger and has a paler abdomen tip.

Ebony jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata) is a large, showy, broad-winged damselfly. It can be found from late May to early September near shallow, small to medium-sized, canopy covered forest streams and adjacent shaded areas. Adults live on average for 16 to 20 days. They are often noticed in large numbers but for only a short period and then sporadically or not at all until the next year.

Jewelwings in Minnesota are identified by the broad, partially or wholly black wings; and on the female the small white patch near the tip of each wing. This species is identified by the brilliant metallic green or blue body; the broader, wholly black wings that are 3 times as long as wide; and the wider white patch near the wing tip of the female.

Photo by Alfredo Colon

tule bluet (Enallagma carunculatum)

northern bluet (Enallagma annexum)

damselflies (suborder Zygoptera)

spotted spreadwing (Lestes congener)

river jewelwing (Calopteryx aequabilis)

Photo by Mike Poeppe