Ebony Jewelwing Dragonfly
Date Submitted: August 20, 2009
Observer: Paul Lauenstein
Observation Date: 8/14/09
Observation Time: 11:20 a.m.
Observation Location: Beaver Brook near tennis courts
Plant or Animal? Animal
Common Name: Ebony Jewelwing Dragonfly
Scientific Name: Calopteryx maculata
Comments: Common along shallow forested streams. Adults perch on vegetation within a few feet of the water. Males are territorial and perform fluttering courtship displays. Females, which are bronze-colored with a distinctive white dot at the tops of their wings, oviposit in floating vegetation, often with the male guarding nearby.
More Information: Iowa State University BugGuide
Other Photos:
Here's a shot of a pair of ebony jewelwing dragonflies at Beaver Brook, taken on 8/14/09. This photo shows an irridescent male guarding a bronze-colored female with the characteristic white dot at the top edge of her wings.
Male perched on vegetation in Beaver Brook.
Clear water flowing in Beaver Brook following unusually wet summer weather, 8/14/09.
Previous, Subsequent, or Similar Sightings:
Crane Fly, 5/26/10
White Corporal Dragonfly, 5/29/10
Ebony Jewelwing Dragonfly, 5/29/10
Dot-tailed whiteface dragonfly, 6/7/10
Aurora Damsel, 6/21/10