Masked Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga pertinas). Photo from Odonata Central. This species’ conservation status ranking by Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is S1, CRITICALLY IMPERILED.

Arizona Damselfly and Dragonfly (Odonata) Conservation

These are my favorite predators. They have been around since before the dinosaurs, much longer than any mammal predator that ever existed. They’ve survived for such a long time because once evolution achieved their form and behavior, it hasn’t been able to find anything better–for over three hundred million years.

Damselflies and dragonflies are amazing fliers. These aerial acrobats can hover, fly straight up, straight down, and even upside down. Their vision and speed are so good, that they are difficult to catch in bug nets. A hovering dragonfly can move away so fast it seems to disappear.

These little creatures are familiar and common, and yet the conservation status of most of them is unknown. Worldwide, specialists considered them an imperiled group. In Arizona, the quality and quantity of the moist habitats they require are declining as the human population soars. More observers are needed, and you can help by registering with Odonata Central and posting your sightings. Find photographs and learn more about Arizona damselfly and dragonfly conservation at the Arizona Dragonfly and Arizona Odonata websites.

Arizona Damselfly and Dragonfly Numbers*

World: ≈5,500
U. S.: ≤500
Arizona: 137*
Status Unknown: 107 (78%)
AZGFD Imperiled (S1-S4) : 26 (19%)
ESA Species of Concern: 1

*I added 30 species on the Odonata Central list to the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) October, 2013 list. Other sources list slightly different numbers of species. The reason for this is usually that some lists contain subspecies not included in others.

Arizona Damselfly and Dragonfly References

Arizona Odonata website. http://azodes.org.
The online Naturalist’s Bookstore has field guides (at the end of the category list) and other references. Go to: http://bit.ly/RKW2bC.
Arizona Dragonflies (Damselflies and Dragonflies): www.azdragonfly.net.
Behrstock, R.A. 2008. Dragonflies and damselflies of the Southwest. Rio Nuevo Publishers, Tucson, AZ, 96 p.
Corbet, P, 1999. Dragonflies — Behavior and Ecology of Odonata. Comstock Pub. Assoc., New York. 829 p.
Dragonflies (Odonata) of the Southwest website: http://southwestdragonflies.net.
Dunkle, S.W. 2000. Dragnoflies through binoculars: A field guide to dragonflies of North America. Oxford University Press, New York, NY. 266 p.
Odanata Central: http://odonatacentral.org.
Paulson, D. 2009. Dragonflies and damselflies of the West. Princeton Press. Princeton, NJ. 536 p.

Arizona Damselfly and Dragonfly Conservation Status Symbols
Symbols Used by AZGFD

S1 Critically Imperiled: Extremely rare or some factor(s) is making the species especially vulnerable to extirpation. Typically 5 or fewer locations or very few remaining individuals (<1,000).
S2 Imperiled: Rare or some factor(s) is making the species very vulnerable to extirpation. Typically 6 to 20 occurrences or few remaining individuals (1,000 to 3,000).
S3 Vulnerable: Rare or found only in a restricted range (even if abundant at some locations), or because of other factors making it vulnerable to extirpation. Typically 21 to 100 occurrences or between 3,000 and 10,000 individuals.
S4 Apparently Secure: Uncommon but not rare, and usually widespread. Usually more than 100 occurrences* and more than 10,000 individuals. Possible long-term concern.
S5 Secure: Common, widespread, and abundant. Safe under present conditions. Typically with considerably more than 100 locations and more than 10,000 individuals.
S#S#: Indicates the range of uncertainty about exact status (e.g., S3S4).

Symbols Used for the Endangered Species Act (ESA)

SC Species of Concern: Describes the entire realm of taxa whose conservation status may be of concern to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, but does not have official federal status.

ARIZONA DAMSELFLIES AND DRAGONFLIES* *Species from Odonata Central added to AZGFD list.
*SCIENTIFIC NAME*	COMMON NAME	AZGFD	ESA
Aeshna interrupta	Variable Darner	S?
Aeshna palmata	Paddle-tailed Darner	S?
Aeshna persephone	Persephone’s Darner	S?
Amphiagrion abbreviatum	Western Red Damsel	S?
Amphiagrion intermediate	—	*
Anax junius	Common Green Darner	S?
Anax walsinghami	Giant Green Darner	S?
Apanisagrion lais	Black-and-white Damsel	S?
Aphylla protracta	Narrow-striped Forceptail	*
Archilestes californicus	California Spreadwing	S?
Archilestes grandis	Great Spreadwing	S?
Argia agrioides	California Dancer	S?
Argia alberta	Paiute Dancer	S?
Argia apicalis	Blue-fronted Dancer	*
Argia carlcooki	Yaqui Dancer	*
Argia extranea	Spine-tipped Dancer	S?
Argia fumipennis	Variable Dancer	*
Argia harknessi	—	*
Argia hinei	Lavender Dancer	S?
Argia immunda	Kiowa Dancer	S?
Argia lacrimans	Sierra Madre Dancer	S?
Argia lugens	Sooty Dancer	S?
Argia moesta	Powdered Dancer	S?
Argia munda	Apache Dancer	S?
Argia nahuana	Aztec Dancer	S?
Argia oenea	Fiery-eyed Dancer	S?
Argia pallens	Amethyst Dancer	S?
Argia pima	Pima Dancer	S1
Argia plana	Springwater Dancer	S?
Argia sabino	Sabino Canyon Dancer	S2	SC
Argia sedula	Blue-ringed Dancer	S?
Argia tarascana	Tarascan Dancer	S1
Argia tezpi	Tezpi Dancer	S?
Argia tonto	Tonto Dancer	S?
Argia translata	Dusky Dancer	S?
Argia vivida	Vivid Dancer	S?
Brachymesia furcata	Red-tailed Pennant	*
Brachymesia gravida	Four-spotted Pennant	*
Brechmorhoga mendax	Pale-faced Clubskimmer	S4
Brechmorhoga pertinax	Masked Clubskimmer	S1
Celithemis eponina	Halloween Pennant	*
Coenagrion resolutum	Taiga Bluet	S1
Cordulegaster diadema	Apache Spiketail	S3
Cordulegaster dorsalis	Pacific Spiketail	*
Coryphaeschna adnexa	Blue-faced Darner	*
Cupido (Everes) amyntula	Western Tailed-blue	S?
Cupido (Everes) comyntas	Eastern Tailed-blue	S?
Dythemis fugax	Checkered Setwing	S2
Dythemis maya	Mayan Setwing	*
Dythemis nigrescens	Black Setwing	S3
Dythemis velox	Swift Setwing	S1
Enallagma anna	River Bluet	S?
Enallagma annexum	Northern Bluet	S?
Enallagma basidens	Double-striped Bluet	S?
Enallagma boreale	Boreal Bluet	*
Enallagma carunculatum	Tule Bluet	S?
Enallagma civile	Familiar Bluet	S?
Enallagma eiseni	Baja Bluet	*
Enallagma novaehispaniae	Neotropical Bluet	*
Enallagma praevarum	Arroyo Bluet	S?
Enallagma semicirculare	Claw-tipped Bluet	S?
Erpetogomphus compositus	White-belted Ringtail	S?
Erpetogomphus crotalinus	Yellow-legged Ringtail	S?
Erpetogomphus designatus	Eastern Ringtail	S?
Erpetogomphus elaps	Straight-tipped Ringtail	*
Erpetogomphus lampropeltis	Serpent Ringtail	S?
Erythemis collocata	Western Pondhawk	S?
Erythemis simplicicollis	Eastern Pondhawk	S?
Erythemis vesiculosa	Great Pondhawk	S?
Erythrodiplax basifusca	Plateau Dragonlet	*
Erythrodiplax connata	Plateau Dragonlet	S?
Erythrodiplax funerea	Black-winged Dragonlet	S?
Hesperagrion heterodoxum	Painted Damsel	S?
Hetaerina americana	American Rubyspot	*
Hetaerina titia	Smoky Rubyspot	*
Hetaerina vulnerata	Canyon Rubyspot	*
Ischnura barberi	Desert Forktail	S?
Ischnura cervula	Pacific Forktail	S?
Ischnura damula	Plains Forktail	S?
Ischnura demorsa	Mexican Forktail	S?
Ischnura denticollis	Black-fronted Forktail	S?
Ischnura hastata	Citrine Forktail	S?
Ischnura perparva	Western Forktail	S?
Ischnura ramburii	Rambur’s Forktail	S?
Lestes alacer	Plateau Spreadwing	S?
Lestes congener	Spotted Spreadwing	S?
Lestes disjunctus	Northern Spreadwing	S?
Lestes dryas	Emerald Spreadwing	S?
Lestes sigma	Chalky Spreadwing	*
Libellula comanche	Comanche Skimmer	S3S4
Libellula composita	Bleached Skimmer	S1
Libellula croceipennis	Neon Skimmer	S5
Libellula forensis	Eight-spotted Skimmer	S3
Libellula luctuosa	Widow Skimmer	S4
Libellula nodisticta	Hoary Skimmer	S3
Libellula pulchella	Twelve-spotted Skimmer	S5
Libellula quadrimaculata	Four-spotted Skimmer	S4
Libellula saturata	Flame Skimmer	S5
Macrodiplax balteata	Marl Pennant	S?
Macromia magnifica	Western River Cruiser	S?
Macrothemis inacuta	Slender Sylph	S?
Macrothemis pseudimitans	White-tailed Sylph	*
Ophiogomphus arizonicus	Arizona Snaketail	S3S4
Oplonaeschna armata	Riffle Darner	S?
Orthemis discolor	Carmine Skimmer	*
Orthemis ferruginea	Roseate Skimmer	*
Pachydiplax longipennis	Blue Dasher	S?
Palaemnema domina	Desert Shadowdamsel	S1
Paltothemis lineatipes	Red Rock Skimmer	S?
Pantala flavescens	Wandering Glider	S?
Pantala hymenaea	Spot-winged Glider	S?
Perithemis domitia	Slough Amberwing	S?
Perithemis intensa	Mexican Amberwing	S?
Perithemis tenera	Eastern Amberwing	S?
Plathemis lydia	Common Whitetail	S?
Plathemis subornata	Desert Whitetail	S?
Progomphus borealis	Gray Sanddragon	S?
Pseudoleon superbus	Filigree Skimmer	S?
Remartinia luteipennis	Malachite Darner	S2
Rhionaeschna californica	California Darner	*
Rhionaeschna dugesi	Arroyo Darner	S1
Rhionaeschna multicolor	Blue-eyed Darner	S5
Rhionaeschna psilus	Turquoise-tipped Darner	S3
Stylurus intricatus	Brimstone Clubtail	S1
Stylurus plagiatus	Russet-tipped Clubtail	S3
Sympetrum corruptum	Variegated Meadowhawk	S5
Sympetrum danae	Black Meadowhawk	*
Sympetrum illotum	Cardinal Meadowhawk	*
Sympetrum pallipes	Striped Meadowhawk	S4
Sympetrum semicinctum	Band-winged Meadowhawk	S2
Sympetrum signiferum	Spot-winged Meadowhawk	S2
Sympetrum vicinum	Autumn Meadowhawk	*
Telebasis salva	Desert Firetail	S?
Tramea binotata	Sooty Saddlebags	*
Tramea calverti	Striped Saddlebags	*
Tramea lacerata	Black Saddlebags	S?
Tramea onusta	Red Saddlebags	S?

5 thoughts on “Arizona Damselfly and Dragonfly Conservation Update”

Gator Woman on November 20, 2013 at 6:38 am said:

It is beautiful~

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giftsandgamesllc on November 20, 2013 at 2:41 pm said:

Great photo!

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Robyn on November 24, 2013 at 1:19 pm said:

I had no idea there were so many species! I’ll have to pay more attention to the ones flying through my backyard!

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GarryRogers on November 27, 2013 at 12:05 pm said:

Hi Robyn,
Dragonflies are easy to spot, but some of the damselflies are small and like to hunt near the ground. I’m sure you will spot them though.
Garry

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