Species Calopteryx dimidiata - Sparkling Jewelwing

Classification · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Life Cycle · See Also · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Sparkling Jewelwing - Calopteryx dimidiata - female

Sparkling Jewelwing - Calopteryx dimidiata

Sparkling Jewelwing - Calopteryx dimidiata - male

A second photo of sequence - Calopteryx dimidiata - female

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Odonata (Dragonflies and Damselflies)

Suborder Zygoptera (Damselflies)

Family Calopterygidae (Broad-winged Damselflies)

Genus Calopteryx

Species dimidiata (Sparkling Jewelwing)

Size

Length 37-50 mm

Identification

Male has dark wingtips. Female usually has clear wings with white spot, though that is sometimes absent. Female sometimes has dark wingtips as well.

Range

Southeastern United States: Massachusetts and Kentucky south to Florida, eastern Texas. Found largely in the coastal plain on the Atlantic seaboard. Usually found in small colonies because dispersal is limited.

Habitat

Streams, usually with sandy bottoms and in fairly open areas with little canopy of trees. Often associated with freshwater "eel-grass", e.g., Vallisneria americana, also called wild celery (1).

Season

April-September (Georgia). March-September (Louisiana). May-September (New Jersey).

Life Cycle

Male patrols a territory 1-4 meters in diameter near oviposition sites, gives "cross" display, floating on the water over site, then gives rapid wingbeat display during courtship. Female oviposits underwater, usually submerging completely and starting to lay her eggs (160 in each daily bout) at the base of an aquatic plant (1).

See Also

River Jewelwing, Ebony Jewelwing

Print References

Dunkle, Damselflies Florida, pp. 25-26, fig. 13 (1)

Lam p. 19 (2)

Abbott, pp. 22-23, photos 1a, 1b (3)

1.	Damselflies of Florida, Bermuda, and the Bahamas By Sidney W. Dunkle

2.	Damselflies of the Northeast By Ed Lam

3.	Dragonflies and Damselflies of Texas and the South-Central United States By John C. Abbott

Contributed by Cotinis on 2 February, 2005 - 10:52am
Last updated 7 July, 2006 - 9:31pm

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