Eastern forktail


Eastern forktail is a member of the damselfly family Coenagrionidae.

Distribution and habitat

This species is present in the Eastern United States, from the Atlantic coast to the Midwest and from north of Florida to Southern Canada and west to Montana and New Mexico.

Habitat

These damselflies inhabit various wetlands, especially small pond, slow moving streams and marshes.

Description

Ischnura verticalis can reach a body length of. These small green, black and blue damselflies have a slender body with four wings folding over the back. The thorax of the males is black above, with pale green sides and green shoulder stripes. Eyes are dark above, greenish below. Abdomen is mainly black, with thin pale rings. The top of the abdomen is blue, with black markings on sides. The males' abdomens shows tiny projections off the tip.
Females are usually grayish-blue, with greyish markings on the abdomen. In the immature female thorax is bright orange with black dorsal and shoulder stripes. The abdomen is black above and orange below. Eyes are dark above, orange below. The pterostigma is white to light brown. The females may be less commonly yellow-green like the male.
This species is very similar to Ishnura perparva, or the Western Forktail. These two species can be better discriminate on the basis if their range.

Biology

Adults typically fly from late June to early October, but in some location may extend from early April to early November. Females are commonly monogamous, as they mate only once. They may fertilize over a thousand eggs with the sperm of a single male.

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