Dragonflies and Damselflies of Massachusetts


This page was updated on 19 March 2000.

The following list is based on Chris Leahy's unpublished list of Massachusetts odonata (updated by Richard A. Forster) and recent field sightings.

Common names are based on the list of Common Names of North American Dragonflies and Damselflies, published by the Dragonfly Society of the Americas in their newsletter Argia (volume 8, number 2, August 1996).

DAMSELFLIES (Zygoptera)

Broad-winged Damselflies (Calopterygidae)

  1. River Jewelwing (Calopteryx aequabilis - male) (female)
  2. Superb Jewelwing (Calopteryx amata - male) (female)
  3. Sparkling Jewelwing (Calopteryx dimidiata - male)
  4. Ebony Jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata - male) (female)
  5. American Rubyspot (Hetaerina americana - male) (female)

Spread-winged Damselflies (Lestidae)

  1. Spotted Spreadwing (Lestes congener - male) (female)
  2. Common Spreadwing (Lestes disjunctus - male)
  3. Emerald Spreadwing (Lestes dryas - male)
  4. Amber-winged Spreadwing (Lestes eurinus - male) (female)
  5. Sweetflag Spreadwing (Lestes forcipatus - male) (female)
  6. Elegant Spreadwing (Lestes inaequalis - male)
  7. Slender Spreadwing (Lestes rectangularis - male) (female)
  8. Lyre-tipped Spreadwing (Lestes unguiculatus - male) (female)
  9. Swamp Spreadwing (Lestes vigilax - male) (female)

Narrow-winged Damselflies (Coenagrionidae)

  1. Eastern Red Damsel (Amphiagrion saucium - male) (female)
  2. Blue-fronted Dancer (Argia apicalis - male)
  3. Variable Dancer (Argia fumipennis - male) (dark male) (pair)
  4. Powdered Dancer (Argia moesta - male) (pair)
  5. Dusky Dancer (Argia translata - male) (pair)
  6. Aurora Damsel (Chromagrion conditum - male)  (pair)
  7. Taiga Bluet (Coenagrion resolutum - male)
  8. Azure Bluet (Enallagma aspersum - male) (female) (pair)
  9. Boreal Bluet (Enallagma boreale - male)
  10. Tule Bluet (Enallagma carunculatum - male) (pair)
  11. Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile - male) (female)
  12. Northern Bluet (Enallagma cyathigerum - male) (pair)
  13. Attenuated Bluet (Enallagma daeckii - male)
  14. Turquoise Bluet (Enallagma divagans - male) (pair)
  15. Atlantic Bluet (Enallagma doubledayi - male) (female)
  16. Big Bluet (Enallagma durum - male)
  17. Marsh Bluet (Enallagma ebrium - male)
  18. Stream Bluet (Enallagma exsulans - male) (female)
  19. Skimming Bluet (Enallagma geminatum - male) (pair)
  20. Hagen's Bluet (Enallagma hageni - male)
  21. New England Bluet (Enallagma laterale - male)
  22. Little Bluet (Enallagma minusculum - male)
  23. Scarlet Bluet (Enallagma pictum - male)  (pair)
  24. Pine Barrens Bluet (Enallagma recurvatum - male) (pair)
  25. Orange Bluet (Enallagma signatum - male 1) (male 2)  (female)
  26. Slender Bluet (Enallagma traviatum - male) (pair)
  27. Vesper Bluet (Enallagma vesperum - male)
  28. Citrine Forktail (Ischnura hastata - male) (female)
  29. Lilypad Forktail (Ischnura kellicotti - male) (orange female) (blue female)
  30. Fragile Forktail (Ischnura posita - male) (female)
  31. Furtive Forktail (Ischnura prognata) - new in 1996!
  32. Rambur's Forktail (Ischnura ramburii - male) (female)
  33. Eastern Forktail (Ischnura verticalis - male) (orange female) (blue female)
  34. Sphagnum Sprite (Nehalennia gracilis - female) (pair)
  35. Sedge Sprite (Nehalennia irene - male) (female)

DRAGONFLIES (Anisoptera)

Darners (Aeshnidae)

  1. Canada Darner (Aeshna canadensis - male) (female)
  2. Mottled Darner (Aeshna clepsydra - male) (female)
  3. Lance-tipped Darner (Aeshna constricta - male) (female)
  4. Lake Darner (Aeshna eremita - male) (female)
  5. Variable Darner (Aeshna interrupta - male) (female)
  6. Blue-eyed Darner (Aeshna multicolor - male) (female)
  7. Spatterdock Darner (Aeshna mutata - male) (female)
  8. Subarctic Darner (Aeshna subarctica - male) (female)
  9. Black-tipped Darner (Aeshna tuberculifera - male) (female)
  10. Shadow Darner (Aeshna umbrosa - male) (female)
  11. Green-striped Darner (Aeshna verticalis - male) (female)
  12. Common Green Darner (Anax junius - male) (female)
  13. Comet Darner (Anax longipes - male) (female)
  14. Springtime Darner (Basiaeschna janata - female) (lateral view)
  15. Ocellated Darner (Boyeria grafiana - male)
  16. Fawn Darner (Boyeria vinosa - male) (female)
  17. Swamp Darner (Epiaeschna heros - male)
  18. Taper-tailed Darner (Gomphaeschna antilope) - new in 1997
  19. Harlequin Darner (Gomphaeschna furcillata - male) (female)
  20. Cyrano Darner (Nasiaeschna pentacantha - male)  (female)

Clubtails (Gomphidae)

  1. Lilypad Clubtail (Arigomphus furcifer - male)
  2. Unicorn Clubtail (Arigomphus villosipes - male)
  3. Black-shouldered Spinyleg (Dromogomphus spinosus - male)  (female)
  4. Spine-crowned Clubtail (Gomphus abbreviatus - male)
  5. Moustached Clubtail (Gomphus adelphus - male)  (female)
  6. Beaverpond Clubtail (Gomphus borealis - male) (female)
  7. Harpoon Clubtail (Gomphus descriptus - male)
  8. Lancet Clubtail (Gomphus exilis - male) (female)
  9. Midland Clubtail (Gomphus fraternus - male)
  10. Ashy Clubtail (Gomphus lividus - male) (female)
  11. Rapids Clubtail (Gomphus quadricolor - male) (female)
  12. Dusky Clubtail (Gomphus spicatus - male, lateral) (male, dorsal) (female)
  13. Cobra Clubtail (Gomphus vastus - adult male) (immature male)  (female)
  14. Skillet Clubtail (Gomphus ventricosus - male)
  15. Dragonhunter (Hagenius brevistylus - male)  (female)
  16. Northern Pygmy Clubtail (Lanthus parvulus - male)  (female)
  17. Southern Pygmy Clubtail (Lanthus vernalis - male) (female)
  18. Brook Snaketail (Ophiogomphus aspersus - male)
  19. Riffle Snaketail (Ophiogomphus carolus - male) (female)
  20. Pygmy Snaketail (Ophiogomphus howei - male)
  21. Maine Snaketail (Ophiogomphus mainensis - male)
  22. Rusty Snaketail (Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis - male)  (female)
  23. Common Sanddragon (Progomphus obscurus - male)
  24. Least Clubtail (Stylogomphus albistylus - male)  (teneral female)
  25. Riverine Clubtail (Stylurus amnicola - male)
  26. Zebra Clubtail (Stylurus scudderi - male)
  27. Arrow Clubtail (Stylurus spiniceps) (male)  (female)

Spiketails (Cordulegastridae)

  1. Delta-spotted Spiketail (Cordulegaster diastatops - male)  (female)
  2. Twin-spotted Spiketail (Cordulegaster maculata - male) (female)
  3. Arrowhead Spiketail (Cordulegaster obliqua - male) (female - dorsal) (female - lateral)

Belted and River Cruisers (Macromiidae)

  1. Stream Cruiser (Didymops transversa - immature male) (male - dorsal)
  2. Illinois River Cruiser (Macromia illinoisensis - male) (female)

Emeralds (Corduliidae)

  1. American Emerald (Cordulia shurtleffi - male) (female)
  2. Petite Emerald (Dorocordulia lepida - male) (female)
  3. Racket-tailed Emerald (Dorocordulia libera - male) (female)
  4. Beaverpond Baskettail (Epitheca canis -male) (female)
  5. Common Baskettail (Epitheca cynosura - male)  (female)
  6. Prince Baskettail (Epitheca princeps - male)
  7. Spiny Baskettail (Epitheca spinigera - male)
  8. Uhler's Sundragon (Helocordulia uhleri - male) (female)
  9. Umber Shadowdragon (Neurocordulia obsoleta - male)
  10. Stygian Shadowdragon (Neurocordulia yamaskanensis) (male)
  11. Lake Emerald (Somatochlora cingulata - male)
  12. Ski-tailed Emerald (Somatochlora elongata - male) (female)
  13. Forcipate Emerald (Somatochlora forcipata - male)
  14. Coppery Emerald (Somatochlora georgiana - male)
  15. Incurvate Emerald (Somatochlora incurvata - male) (female) (pair)
  16. Kennedy's Emerald (Somatochlora kennedyi)
  17. Mocha Emerald (Somatochlora linearis - male) (female)
  18. Ocellated Emerald (Somatochlora minor - male)
  19. Clamp-tipped Emerald (Somatochlora tenebrosa - male) (female)
  20. Brush-tipped Emerald (Somatochlora walshii - male) (female)
  21. Williamson's Emerald (Somatochlora williamsoni - male) (female)
  22. Ebony Boghaunter (Williamsonia fletcheri - male)
  23. Ringed Boghaunter (Williamsonia lintneri - male) (female)

Common Skimmers (Libellulidae)

  1. Calico Pennant (Celithemis elisa - male) (female)
  2. Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina - male)
  3. Banded Pennant (Celithemis fasciata - male) (immature male)
  4. Martha's Pennant (Celithemis martha - male) (mature female) (immature female)
  5. Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis - male) (female)
  6. Seaside Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax berenice - male) (female)
  7. Frosted Whiteface (Leucorrhinia frigida - male) (female)
  8. Crimson-ringed Whiteface (Leucorrhinia glacialis - male)
  9. Hudsonian Whiteface (Leucorrhinia hudsonica - male) (female)
  10. Dot-tailed Whiteface (Leucorrhinia intacta - male) (female)
  11. Red-waisted Whiteface (Leucorrhinia proxima - male)
  12. Golden-winged Skimmer (Libellula auripennis - male) (female)
  13. Bar-winged Skimmer (Libellula axilena) (male) - new in 1996
  14. Spangled Skimmer (Libellula cyanea - male) (female)
  15. Blue Corporal (Libellula deplanata - male) (female)
  16. White Corporal (Libellula exusta - male) (female)
  17. Slaty Skimmer (Libellula incesta - male) (female)
  18. Chalk-fronted Skimmer (Libellula julia - male) (female)
  19. Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa - male) (female)
  20. Common Whitetail (Libellula lydia - male) (female)
  21. Needham's Skimmer (Libellula needhami - male) (female)
  22. Twelve-spotted Skimmer (Libellula pulchella - male) (female)
  23. Four-spotted Skimmer (Libellula quadrimaculata - male)
  24. Painted Skimmer (Libellula semifasciata - male) (female)
  25. Great Blue Skimmer (Libellula vibrans - male)
  26. Elfin Skimmer (Nannothemis bella - male) (female)
  27. Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis - male) (female)
  28. Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens - male) (female)
  29. Spot-winged Glider (Pantala hymenaea - male) (female)
  30. Eastern Amberwing (Perithemis tenera - male) (female)
  31. Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum - male) (female)
  32. Saffron-winged Meadowhawk (Sympetrum costiferum - male) (female)
  33. Cherry-faced Meadowhawk (Sympetrum internum - pair)
  34. White-faced Meadowhawk (Sympetrum obtrusum - male) (female)
  35. Ruby Meadowhawk (Sympetrum rubicundulum - male) (female)
  36. Band-winged Meadowhawk (Sympetrum semicinctum - male) (female)
  37. Yellow-legged Meadowhawk (Sympetrum vicinum - male) (female)
  38. Vermilion Saddlebags (Tramea abdominalis - male) [historic]
  39. Striped Glider (Tramea calverti - male) - new in 1997
  40. Carolina Saddlebags (Tramea carolina - male)
  41. Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata - male)  (female)

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