Ebony Jewelwing
Calopteryx maculata
Insecta
COMMON
Stats
- Lifespan
- A few weeks
- Size
- Medium
- Diet
- Insectivore
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Social
- Solitary
- Biome
- Freshwater wetland
- Range
- North America
- Movement
- Flight
- Breeding
- Egg-laying
- Defense
- Speed
- Status
- Common
About
The Ebony Jewelwing is a broad-winged damselfly of eastern North America's shaded woodland streams. Males are unmistakable — jet-black wings paired with an iridescent blue-green body they fan in slow, butterfly-like courtship flights to attract females.
Life cycle
- 1.eggA small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
- 2.juvenileAn immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
- 3.subadultA near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
- 4.adultFully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.
Learn more
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Odonata
- Family
- Calopterygidae
- Genus
- Calopteryx
- Species
- Calopteryx maculata