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Furtive Forktail (Ischnura prognata)
Photo#179943
Copyright © 2008
Ron M.
Damselfly -
Ischnura prognata
-
Kenner, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, USA
April 11, 2008
Images of this individual:
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Contributed by
Ron M.
on 1 May, 2008 - 12:59am
Last updated 12 August, 2008 - 2:35pm
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…
Ron M.
, 12 August, 2008 - 2:35pm
Furtive Forktail?
The wings are stalked, so it's not a broad-winged damselfly. The legs look too short, the ovipositor too small and the head shape looks wrong for a spreadwing, which leaves the pond damsels. The spines on the legs are relatively short in relation to the length of the spaces between them, so probably not a sprite or dancer. There does not appear to be a vulvar spine below segment 8, which I think rules out bluets. The color and pattern of the thorax rules out Duckweed Firetail, which leaves only the forktails. Of the forktails in that area, only Citrine, Fragile and Furtive might lack a vulvar spine. You should be able to see the exclamation point (!) pattern on the thorax of a Fragile, which I don't see here. The thin line on the thorax looks like a Furtive, not a Citrine. Also, according to Abbot's Texas book, Citrine's lay their eggs in submerged vegetation, just under the surface, which also suggests that this is not a Citrine (though I suppose there could be exceptions to this).
So, I would guess it's a Furtive Forktail,
Ischnura prognata
. I base this on what I've gathered from
Dragonflies and Damselflies of Texas
by John Abbott and
Damselflies of the Northeast
by Ed Lam, and the Louisiana state checklist on OdonataCentral.com.
…
Andy R
, 11 May, 2008 - 6:18pm