How to Spy a Dragonfly

Size of Dragonflies

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Common Whitetail

• White abdomen and brown eyes in males
  
• Brown abdomen and brown eyes in females
  
• One large band and one small dark spot on each wing for male
  
• Three dark spots on each wing for female
  
• Often perch at ground level

Common Green Darner

• Large dragonfly that zooms around and rarely lands
  
• Blue abdomen with black markings, green thorax and large wraparound green eyes in males
  
• Brown and blue abdomen, green thorax and brownish-green wraparound eyes in females
  
• Hangs upward when lands

Variegated Meadowhawk

• Red abdomen with patterns and red over grey eyes in males
  
• Brown abdomen with white spots and brown eyes in females
  
• Both male and females have yellow spots on thorax
  
• Wings are clear with colored stigma
  
• Perch at medium heights and will come back often to same place

Familiar Bluet (Damselfly)

• Most common damselfly at Sibley Pond and around Midland
  
• Bright blue abdomen with black rings and blue eyes with black tops in males
  
• Blue thorax with black stripes in males
  
• Females have similar markings but are duller in color overall

Eastern Pondhawk

• Common medium-sized dragonfly at Sibley Pond
  
• Bright blue abdomen and bright green eyes in males
  
• Green and black abdomen and bright green eyes and thorax in females
  
• Voracious hunters of larger insects and other dragonflies

Eastern Amberwing

• Amber abdomen and reddish-brown eyes
  
• Amber wings and orange legs
  
• Two irregular dark spots on each wing in females
  
• Perch low and in trees

Red/Black Saddlebags

• Both Red and Black Saddlebags have unique "saddlebags" wing markings
  
• Red abdomen/red eyes or black abdomen/black eyes
  
• Perch high and medium heights

Blue Dasher

• Bright blue abdomen and turquoise eyes in males
  
• Immature females have reddish eyes and yellow markings on blue abdomen
  
• Often in obelisk position
  
• Small to medium in size

Widow Skimmer

• Bluish abdomen and brown eyes in males
  
• Distinctive dark markings on wings close to body with white markings on rest of wing
  
• No white markings on wings and brown abdomens with black stripe in females
  
• Perch low

Roseate Skimmer

• Rosy-purple thorax, rosy abdomen and red eyes in males
  
• Patterned brown thorax, light brown abdomen and brown eyes in females
  
• Wings are clear with dark or colored stigma
  
• Perch low

Flame Skimmer

• Red-orange abdomen and eyes in males
  
• Light brownish-orange abdomen and brown eyes in females
  
• Wings have reddish-orange color extending from abdomen
  
• Most skimmers like this are medium in size with thick abdomens
  
• Perch low

Twelve-Spotted Skimmer

• Bluish abdomen and brown eyes in males
  
• Brown abdomen with yellow stripes and brown eyes in females
  
• Three spots on each wing for males and females
  
• Males also have white spots in wings that shimmer distinctively in flight!
  
• Perch at medium heights but usually do not stay in one place long

BILBIOGRAPHY
Biggs, Kathy. 2000. Common Dragonflies of California: A Beginner's Pocket Guide. Sebastopol, CA. Azalea Creek Printing.
Lasswell, James L. and Mitchell, Forrest L. 2005. A Dazzle of Dragonflies. College Station, TX. Texas A&M Press.
Paulson, Dennis. 2009. Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West. Princeton, NJ. Princeton University Press.
PHOTOGRAPHS AND DRAWINGS
All photographs and drawings are by Susan Ensenat May. They may be used for educational and non-commercial purposes. Permission for all other purposes is required. Please contact Susan May c/o Sibley Nature Center.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Many thanks to Sibley Nature Center, Michael Nickell, Texas Master Naturalists, Midland Naturalists, my dragonfly support team: Sybil Eberhart, Joann Merritt and Bill Edwards, and my husband, Brent May.

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Common Damselflies of Midland

How to Spy a Damselfly

Familiar Bluet

• Most common damselfly at Sibley Pond and around Midland
• Bright blue abdomen with black rings and blue eyes with black tops in males
• Blue thorax with black stripes in males
• Females have similar markings but are duller in color overall

Citrine Forktail

• Very small damselfly
• Green eyes
• Blue-green eyespots in males, orange eyespots in females
• Bright yellow abdomens with distinctive black marks in males

Widow Skimmer

• Dragonfly for reference
• Note size and position of wings
• Largest eyes of any insect
• Thick abdomen

American Rubyspot

• Broad-winged damselfly
• Red eyes
• Metallic green thorax and abdomen in males; duller in females
• Basal red patch on wing

Plains Forktail

• Blue eyespots on top
• Distinctive black thorax with 4 paired spots on top
• Abdomen is mostly black with blue segments at end
• Females are similar but have larger eyespots

Powdered Dancer

• Dark eyes in males;females start with yellow eyes that become blue
• Tan thorax with black stripe in males; tan thorax becoming blue in females
• Dark abdomens with pale yellow rings
• Hold wings above abdomen when perching

Rambur's Forktail

• Green eyes with small blue eyespots
• Blue edge on stigma
• Green or blue thorax
• Immature females can have orange thorax
• Abdomen is black above and pale below on sides
• Blue segments on end of abdomen
• Picture shows the Rambur's Forktail eating a Familiar Bluet :(

Southern Spreadwing

• Blue eyes in males, brown eyes in females
• Dark thorax with tan or coppery shoulder stripe
• Clear wings with dark stigma
• Stout abdomen with distinctive dark spots

Plateau Spreadwing

• Blue eyes in males and older females
• Immature female tan
• Pale shoulder stripe on thorax
• Clear wings with dark stigma
• Spreadwings are the largest damselflies
• Hold their wings out when perching

California Spreadwing

• First documented sighting of this spreadwing in Texas
• Blue eyes in males, blue-brown eyes in females
• Long thin brown abdomen with very light colored tip
• Pale yellow to white stripes on thorax
• Very large spreadwing

BILBIOGRAPHY

Abbott, John C. 2011. Damselflies of Texas; A Field Guide.

Austin, Texas.University of Texas Press.

Lasswell, James L. and Mitchell, Forrest L. 2005. A Dazzle of Dragonflies. College Station, TX.Texas A&M Press.

Paulson, Dennis. 2009. Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West. Princeton, NJ.Princeton University Press.

PHOTOGRAPHS AND DRAWINGS

All photographs and drawings are by Susan Ensenat May.They may be used for educational and non-commercial purposes.Permission for all other purposes is required.Please contact Susan May c/o Sibley Nature Center.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Many thanks to Sibley Nature Center, Michael Nickell, Llano Estacado Texas Master Naturalists, Midland Naturalists, my dragonfly support team: Sybil Eberhart, Joann Merritt and Bill Edwards, and my husband, Brent May.