DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFLIES (ORDER ODONATA) 115 species

DRAGONFLIES (SUBORDER ANISOPTERA) 82 species

Families of Dragonflies:

DAMSELFLIES (SUBORDER ZYGOPTERA) 33 species

Families of Damselflies:

For each species listed, the following indicates the counties in the Houston, Texas, vicinity for which there is at least one known occurrence of that species. Listing of a county for a given species does not necessarily imply that the species can regularly be found in that county. Extremely rare occurrences are usually noted.

Key to sources of information:
(1) Richard Orr personal records from 1987-1989
(2) Thomas Donnelly personal records from 1960-1966
(3) Clifford Johnson's 1972 The Damselflies of Texas
(4) John Abbott personal records
(5) Robert A. Behrstock records from May 1997-present
Other sources of information incorporated into text

County abbreviations:

DAMSELFLIES (ZYGOPTERA) 33 species

Calopterygidae (Broad-winged Damsels) 4 species:

Calopteryx maculata (Beauvois, 1805) -- Ebony Jewelwing --
HAS (1), MOG (2, 3), and SAJ (1, 2, 5). Larval habitat: clear woodland streams and rivers.

Calopteryx dimidiata (Burmeister, 1839) -- Sparkling Jewelwing --
SAJ (1, 2, 3, 5). Larval habitat: streams.

Hetaerina americana (Fabricius, 1798) -- American Rubyspot --
HAS (1), FOB (4, 5), MOG (1), and SAJ (2, 3). Larval habitat: sunlit rivers and streams.

Hetaerina titia (Drury, 1773) -- Smoky Rubyspot --
HAS (1, 2), LIB (2), and SAJ (2, 3). Larval habitat: sunlit rivers and streams.

Lestidae (Spreadwings) 3 species:

Lestes disjunctus australis (Walker, 1952) -- Common Spreadwing --
HAS (1, 2, 3, 5), FOB (1), MOG (1, 2, 3), SAJ (4), and LIB (1). Larval habitat: ponds.

Lestes forficula (Rambur, 1842) -- Rainpool Spreadwing --
New record, 5 May 1999, HAS (5). Larval habitat: ponds.

Lestes vigilax (Hagen in Selys, 1862) -- Swamp Spreadwing --
MOG (4, 5), SAJ (1, 2, 5), and LIB (1). Larval habitat: ponds.

Protoneuridae (Threadtails) 1 species:

Protoneura cara (Calvert, 1903) -- Orange-striped Threadtail --
A single 1988 record (an ovipositing pair photographed by Bob Honig) at the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center, HAS, is the northernmost occurrence of this species. Possibly introduced accidentally into Houston along with aquatic plants. Larval habitat: ponds.

Coenagrionidae (Pond Damsels) 25 species:

Argia apicalis (Say, 1839) -- Blue-fronted Dancer --
HAS (1, 2, 3, 5), CHA (3), FOB (1, 5), MOG (1, 3), SAJ (1, 2, 3), and LIB (2, 3). Larval habitat: sunny sections of streams, rivers, occasionally at ponds.

Argia bipunctulata (Hagen, 1861) -- Seepage Dancer --
SAJ (1, 2, 3). Larval habitat: grassy seeps and bogs.

Argia fumipennis violacea (Hagen, 1861) -- Variable Dancer --
MOG (1, 2, 3) and SAJ (2, 3, 5). Larvae are found in a wide variety of still water habitats.

Argia moesta (Hagen, 1861) -- Powdered Dancer --
HAS (1, 5), FOB (5), MOG (1, 2, 3), SAJ (1, 2, 3, 5), and LIB (2). Larval habitat: sunny sections of streams and rivers.

Argia sedula (Hagen, 1861) -- Blue-ringed Dancer --
HAS (1, 2, 3, 5), GAL (4), BRA (4), FOB (1, 5), MOG (2, 3), SAJ (1, 2, 3), and LIB (2, 3). Larval habitat: sunny sections of streams and rivers.

Argia translata (Hagen in Selys, 1865) -- Dusky Dancer --
A single record (four individuals collected) at the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center along Buffalo Bayou, HAS, on 13 October 1988 (1). Larvae are found in rivers, streams and occasionally at the edges of lakes.

Argia tibialis (Rambur, 1842) -- Blue-tipped Dancer --
HAS (1, 5), BRA (4), FOB (5), MOG (2, 3), SAJ (1, 2, 3, 5), and LIB (1, 2, 3). Larval habitat: streams and rivers.

Enallagma basidens (Calvert, 1902 -- Double-striped Bluet --
HAS (1, 5), BRA (4), MOG (1, 2, 3, 5), San Jacinto (3), and LIB (2, 3). Larval habitat: ponds.

Enallagma civile (Hagen, 1861) -- Familiar Bluet --
HAS (1), CHA (1), BRA (4), FOB (1), WAR (1), MOG (1), SAJ (2, 3), and LIB (4). Larval habitat: ponds.

Enallagma daeckii (Calvert, 1903) -- Attenuated Bluet --
MOG (2) and SAJ (4). Larval habitat: ponds.

Enallagma divagans (Selys, 1876) -- Turquoise Bluet --
SAJ (1, 2, 3, 5). Larval habitat: streams.

Enallagma dubium (Root, 1924) -- Burgundy Bluet --
HAS (3), MOG (1), SAJ (2), and LIB (1). Larval habitat: ponds.

Enallagma durum (Hagen, 1861) -- Big Bluet --
CHA (4, 5). Larval habitat: rivers.

Enallagma exsulans (Hagen, 1861) -- Stream Bluet --
SAJ (2, 3) and LIB (2). Larval habitat: rivers.

Enallagma geminatum (Kellicott, 1895) -- Skimming Bluet --
HAS (1, 3), FOB (1), and SAJ (2, 3). Larval habitat: ponds.

Enallagma signatum (Hagen, 1861) -- Orange Bluet --
HAS (1, 2, 3, 5), GAL (5), MOG (5), CHA (1), FOB (1), SAJ (2, 3), and LIB (2, 3). Larval habitat: a variety of still waters.

Enallagma traviatum westfalli (Selys, 1876) -- Slender Bluet --
SAJ (4) and LIB (2). The type locality is from Liberty County. Larval habitat: ponds.

Enallagma vesperum (Calvert, 1919) -- Vesper Bluet --
HAS (5), CHA (1), MOG (5), and SAJ (2, 3). Most active in the evening. Larval habitat: ponds.

Ischnura hastata (Say, 1839) -- Citrine Forktail --
HAS (1, 2, 3, 5), GAL (5), CHA (1, 3), BRA (3), FOB (1), MOG (1, 2, 3, 5), SAJ (1, 2, 3, 5), and LIB (1). Larval habitat: grassy seeps and marshes.

Ischnura kellicotti (Williamson, 1898) -- Lilypad Forktail --
HAS (1, 2, 3), and SAJ (2, 3). Characteristically on ponds with floating vegetation. Larval habitat: undersides of floating pond leaves.

Ischnura posita posita (Hagen, 1861) -- Fragile Forktail --
HAS (1, 5), FOB (1, 5), MOG (1, 2, 5), SAJ (1, 2, 3), and LIB (2, 3). Larvae can be found in a variety of still water habitats.

Ischnura prognata (Hagen, 1861) -- Furtive Forktail --
One 30 May 1963 record from SAJ at Hickman Branch, 9 miles south of Coldspring on Farm Rd. 2025 (2). Larval habitat: ponds.

Ischnura ramburii (Selys, 1850) -- Rambur's Forktail --
HAS (1, 2, 3, 5), GAL (1, 3, 5), CHA (1, 3), BRA (1, 3), FOB (1, 5), MOG (5), WAR (1), SAJ (2, 3, 5), and LIB (2, 3). Larval habitat: a variety of still waters.

Nehalennia integricollis (Calvert, 1913) -- Southern Sprite --
MOG (2, 5), and SAJ (1, 3). Larval habitat: ponds and bogs.

Telebasis byersi (Westfall, 1957) -- Duckweed Firetail --
Known from a woodland pond just east of the picnic area near Big Creek at Shepherd, SAJ (pers. comm. Sidney Dunkle). Larval habitat: ponds with duckweed.

Copyright ©,1997-1999, Richard Orr, Bob Honig and Robert A. Behrstock. All rights reserved. This page organized and coded by Melinda Parmer.

For additions, corrections or comments please contact Richard Orr at 5215 Durham Road-East, Columbia, Maryland 21044.