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Odonata of Essex County
 

 

The Ebony Jewelwing frequents ditches with moving water and shade.

 

 

Lyre-tipped Spreadwings are often found in meadows and prairie areas quite distant from water.

 

 

Eastern Forktail is the most common damselfly at Ojibway.

 

 

The Swamp Darner is our largest dragonfly.

 

The best locations to observe dragonflies in the Ojibway area include the pond in front of the Nature Centre and the ponds at Tallgrass Prairie Heritage Park. The mouth of Turkey Creek at the Detroit River is a good location for stream species. Many odonates wander far from water and can be found in open areas and along trails.

The following sixty species are listed as (C) common to abundant, (U) uncommon, and (R) rare to single occurrence. Common names follow usage by the Dragonfly Society of the Americas . For more information on dragonflies visit the Odonata Information Network and the Michigan Odonata Survey .

Beginner's Guide to Dragonflies by Blair Nikula, Jackie Sones. A Stokes Guide. This is a pocket sized photographic guide to more than 100 species of dragonflies and damselflies commonly found in the USA. Over 80 % of all the species recorded from Ojibway are pictured in this handy guide. Copies are available at the nature centre for $13.95.

MORE REGIONAL LISTS:

• Odonata of Essex County.
• Link to: Odonata of Ontario with county lists.

1. Calopteryx maculata U    Ebony Jewelwing

1. Archilestes grandis R    Great Spreadwing (new 2002)
2. Lestes congener U    Spotted Spreadwing
3. Lestes dryas C     Emerald Spreadwing
4. Lestes forcipatus R     Sweetflag Spreadwing (new 2000)
5. Lestes rectangularis C    Slender Spreadwing
6. Lestes unguiculatus U    Lyre-tipped Spreadwing

1. Coenagrion resolutum R    Taiga Bluet (new 2001)
2. Enallagma antennatum C    Rainbow Bluet
3. Enallagma aspersum R    Azure Bluet
4. Enallagma basidens U    Double-striped Bluet
5. Enallagma boreale R    Boreal Bluet
6. Enallagma carunculatum U    Tule Bluet
7. Enallagma civile C    Familiar Bluet
8. Enallagma ebrium C    Marsh Bluet
9. Enallagma exsulans U    Stream Bluet
10. Enallagma geminatum C    Skimming Bluet
11. Enallagma hageni U    Hagen's Bluet
12. Enallagma signatum C    Orange Bluet
13. Ischnura hastata R    Citrine Forktail (new 2000)
14. Ischnura posita C    Fragile Forktail
15. Ischnura verticalis C    Eastern Forktail
16. Nehalinnia irene U    Sedge Sprite

1. Aeshna constricta C    Lance-tipped Darner
2. Aeshna umbrosa C    Shadow Darner
3. Anax junius C    Common Green Darner
4. Anax longipes R    Comet Darner
5. Epiaeschna heros U    Swamp Darner

1. Arigomphus villosipes R    Unicorn Clubtail (new 2013)
2. Gomphus graslinellus U    Pronghorn Clubtail
3. Gomphus vastus R    Cobra Clubtail
4. Progomphus obscurus R    Common Sanddragon
5. Stylurus notatus U    Elusive Clubtail

1. Macromia taeniolata U    Royal River Cruiser

1. Epitheca cynosura U    Common Baskettail
2. Epitheca princeps C    Prince Baskettail

1. Celithemis elisa U    Calico Pennant
2. Celithemis eponina R    Halloween Pennant
3. Erythemis simplicicollis C    Common Pondhawk
4. Leucorrhinia frigida R    Frosted Whiteface
5. Leucorrhinia intacta C    Dot-tailed Whiteface
6. Leucorrhinia proxima U    Belted Whiteface
7. Libellula incesta R    Slaty Skimmer (new 2010)
8. Libellula luctuosa C    Widow Skimmer
9. Libellula pulchella C    Twelve-spotted Skimmer
10. Libellula quadrimaculata U    Four-spotted Skimmer
11. Libellula semifasciata R    Painted Skimmer
12. Libellula vibrans R    Great Blue Skimmer
13. Pachydiplax longipennis C    Blue Dasher
14. Pantala flavescens U    Wandering Glider
15. Pantala hymenea C    Spot-winged Glider
16. Perithemis tenera C    Eastern Amberwing
17. Plathemis (Libellula) lydia C    Common Whitetail
18. Sympetrum obtrusum U    White-faced Meadowhawk
19. Sympetrum rubicundulum C    Ruby Meadowhawk
20. Sympetrum semicinctum R    Band-winged Meadowhawk
21. Sympetrum vicinum C    Autumn Meadowhawk
22. Tramea carolina R    Carolina Saddlebags
23. Tramea lacerata C    Black Saddlebags
24. Tramea onusta R    Red Saddlebags