Damselflies are ubiquitous at ponds and other slow moving areas of water throughout the United States. In total, approximately 135 species that fit into four families have been identified.
Rubyspots, as shown in the top picture, consist of three species easily identified by the broad wings with a red spot on it.
Jewelwings, the other category of broadwing damselflies, consist of five species, regionally distributed in the United States. The River Jewelwing, for example, lives in states along the northern border.
Sparkling Jewelwing.
Spreadwing Damselflies
Spreadwing damselflies can be initially identified by their open wings while perching.
Damselflies: Narrow Wings
Western Red Damsel
Firetail damselfly
Caribbean Yellowface
Painted Damselfly
Bluets
Familiar Bluet
The Purple Bluet
Tule Bluet
Orange Bluet Damselfly
Northern Bluet
Alkali Bluet
Boreal Bluet Damselfly
Stream bluet
Dancers
Close to two dozen Dancer damselfly species inhabit slow moving water areas in North America. The common name dancer refers to the lightness of their flight. They are one of the three most common types of damselflies found in the United States.
Blue-fronted Dancer
Blue-ringed Dancer
Golden-winged Dancer
Variable Dancer
Violet Dancer.
Kiowa Dancer.
Blue-tipped Dancer
Tonto Dancer
Vivid Dancer
Paiute Dancer
Aztec Dancer
Forktails
Fourteen different forktail species (Ischnura) call North America home.
The Fragile Forktail
Pacific Forktail
Rambur’s Forktail
Rambur’s forktail
Citrine Forktail
Black-fronted Forktail
Eastern Forktail
Spreadwing Damselflies
About twenty different spreadwing damselflies live in the United States.
Amber-winged spreadwing
California and possibly Oregon host the Black Spreadwing
Chalky spreadwing
Elegant spreading
Emerald spreadwing
Look for the Lyre-tipped spreadwings in the same North and Mid Latitudes.
The name Northern spreadwing suggests a northern species.
Plateau spreadwing
Rainpool spreadwing
Slender spreadwing
Southern spreadwing
Spotted spreadwing
Swamp spreadwing
Sweetflag spreadwing