Damselflies are carnivorous insects that live and breed near a wide variety of freshwater habitats. They lay their eggs in water, and the immature damselflies spend the first several months or years as aquatic predators. These immature damselflies, called nymphs, have external gills that allow them to extract oxygen from the water. After undergoing metamorphosis, new adult damselflies fly away from the water for a brief period of several days to several weeks, after which they return to breed. Both adult and immature damselflies are predators whose diet consists primarily of insects. (Corbet, 1999; Silsby, 2001)
Many thanks to Noppadon Makbun for his help in identifying many of the Odanata on this page.
Many thanks to Noppadon Makbun for his help in identifying many of the Odanata on this page.
Family: Calopterygidae Sélys, 1850 - Broad Winged Damselflies
Genera: Matrona, Mnais, Neurobasis, Vestalaria, Vestalis
Family: Chlorocyphidae Cowley, 1937 - Jewels
Genera: Aristocypha, Heliocypha, Libellago
Family: Coenagrionidae Kirby, 1890 - Narrow-winged Damselflies or Pond Damselflies
Genera: Agriocnemis, Ceriagrion, Ischnura, Pseudagrion
Family: Euphaeidae Jacobson & Bianchi, 1905 - Gossamerwings
Genera: Euphaea
Family: Lestidae Calvert, 1901 - Spread-winged Damselflies
Genera: Lestes
Family: Platycnemididae Jacobson and Bianchi, 1905 - White-legged Damselflies
Genera: Calicnemia, Coeliccia, Copera, Onychargia, Prodasineura, Pseudocopera
Family: Platystictidae - Shadowdamsels
Genera: Protosticta