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Species Hetaerina americana - American Rubyspot

American Ruby Spot - Hetaerina americana - female American Rubyspot mating - Hetaerina americana - male - female American Rubyspot - Hetaerina americana - female American Rubyspot - Hetaerina americana American Rubyspot - Hetaerina americana - male American Rubyspot - Hetaerina americana - female damselfly - Hetaerina americana American Rubyspot? - Hetaerina americana - male
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Odonata (Dragonflies and Damselflies)
Suborder Zygoptera (Damselflies)
Family Calopterygidae (Broad-winged Damselflies)
Genus Hetaerina (Rubyspots)
Species americana (American Rubyspot)
Numbers
One of three Nearctic species in the genus
Size
Length 3.8-4.6 cm
Identification
Males striking, unmistakable.


Females occur in two forms, with either green or copper-colored marks on thorax.

Range
Among the states, Washington and Idaho lack records of this species. The range continues from the United States south into Mexico. In Canada, these provinces have records: Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick.
Habitat
Streams of various sizes
Season
May-November in mid-Atlantic states, e.g. Virginia
Food
Predatory
Life Cycle
Female oviposits in aquatic vegetation, sometimes submerging herself. Male often guards from above, but not in contact with female.
See Also
In the southwest, Canyon rubyspot lacks stigma in its wings


Male Smoky rubyspots with lightly marked wings have black bodies and dark markings at the tips of the wings
Print References
Lam, p. 21 (1)
Dunkle (2)
Nikula (3)
Paulson (4)
Internet References
Works Cited
1.Damselflies of the Northeast
Ed Lam. 2004. Biodiversity Books.
2.Damselflies of Florida, Bermuda, and the Bahamas
Sidney W. Dunkle. 1991. Scientific Publishers.
3.Stokes Beginner's Guide to Dragonflies
Donald and Lillian Stokes. 2002. Little, Brown and Company.
4.Dragonflies and damselflies of the East
D. Paulson. 2012. Princeton University Press. 576 pp.