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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) » Damselflies (Zygoptera) » Narrow-winged Damselflies (Coenagrionidae) » Forktails (Ischnura) » Fragile Forktail (Ischnura posita)

Species Ischnura posita - Fragile Forktail

Classification · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Remarks · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Damselfly - Ischnura posita Fragile Forktail - Ischnura posita - male Unidentified Damselfly 2 - Ischnura posita - female Ischnura posita Ischnura posita - Fragile Forktail - Ischnura posita forktails - Ischnura posita - male Fragile Forkwing? - Ischnura posita - male Damselfly ? - Ischnura posita
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Odonata (Dragonflies and Damselflies)
Suborder Zygoptera (Damselflies)
Family Coenagrionidae (Narrow-winged Damselflies)
Genus Ischnura (Forktails)
Species posita (Fragile Forktail)
Numbers
One of 14 Nearctic species in the genus.
Size
21-29 mm.
Identification
Pale shoulder stripes resemble exclamation points—true of both sexes(1).
Males are yellow, yellow-green, or green:



Young females are light blue:


Older females are dark pruinose blue:


Tenerals are soft brown:
Range
Eastern U.S. and far Eastern Canada.
Habitat
Primarily ponds and temporary pools; sometimes small streams and other relatively placid bodies of water.
Season
Active from Spring to early Fall.
Food
Tiny flying insects.
Remarks
One of the most common Eastern damselflies.
Print References
(2)
Internet References
Dragonhunter Site: Fragile Forktail page

American Insects: Fragile Forktail
Works Cited
1.Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Massachusetts
Blair Nikula, Jennifer L. Loose, Matthew R. Burne. 2003. Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife.
2.Damselflies of the Northeast
Ed Lam. 2004. Biodiversity Books.
Contributed by Stephen_WV on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm
Additional contributions by john and jane balaban, Vox Sciurorum
Last updated 29 August, 2019 - 8:52am

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