The Black Spreadwings here were seen with Leslie Flint on a trip to Nagasawa Park in Santa Rosa, June 9, 2014. We watched about a dozen males nervously flitting about in a moist meadow near the parking lot. At times they perched to give a decent view, hanging from grass with abdomens downward. The male is dark on the top of the abdomen, often showing a bronzy sheen, especially when younger, as seen here.
Lower parts of the abdomen are light blue, and the eyes are bi-colored blue.
Better photos might show that the dark pterostigma ("wing spot") has white color at the ends. This was my very first spreadwing damsel, so it was an exciting day. The Emerald Spreadwing, found at higher elevations, is similar, but with an emerald sheen. The experts think the Black and Emerald may be subspecies, and could be lumped together in the future.
Taxonomy:
Order: Odonata. The Dragonflies, including the Damselflies. Over 5,000 species worldwide.
Suborder: Anisoptera ("unequal wings") - The Dragonflies. Bigger, thicker bodied, wings held spread apart, eyes large and often touching at midline.
Suborder: Zygoptera ("equal wings") - The Damselfies. Smaller, wings usually held folded, eyes smaller and separated. 41 species of damsels are found in California, but that will likely change in the future as we get warmer.
Family: Lestidae - The Spreadwing Damsels. As their name implies, the spreadwings usually keep their wings spread when perched, except at night or when being harassed. They tend to be larger than other damsels. 19 spreadwing species are found in the U.S., with 7 species documented in California. Worldwide there are 84 spreadwing species.
Genus: Lestes - The Pond Spreadwings. 5 species in California. The other spreadwings here are 2 species of Stream Spreadwings, in the genus Archilestes.
Species: Lestes stuctus - The Black Spreadwing. Range limited to California and Southern Oregon.
No comments:
Post a Comment