There are 3 families of damselflies in Missouri.
Calopterygidae
broad wings not narrowed or stalked at the base
numerous antenodal crossveins
no stigma, most females have a white pseudostigma
Calopteryx maculata Ebony Jewelwing
Hetaerina americana American Rubyspot
H. titia Smoky Rubyspot
Lestidae
normally hold wings partly spread
perch on stems with body angled downward
2 antenodal crossveins
Rs and M3 closer to arculus than to nodus
long, narrow stigma
Archilestes is much larger than the other spreadwings in Missouri which are all in Lestes.
Archilestes grandis Great Spreadwing
Lestes congener Spotted Spreadwing
L. disjunctus australis Common Spreadwing
L. dryas Emerald Spreadwing
L. eurinus Amber-winged Spreadwing
L. forcipatus Sweetflag Spreadwing
L. inaequalis Elegant Spreadwing
L. rectangularis Slender Spreadwing
L. unguiculatus Lyre-tipped Spreadwing
L. vigilax Swamp Spreadwing
Coenagrionidae
clear wings, perch with wings held together
wings narrowed or stalked at the base
2 antenodal crossveins
Rs and M3 closer to nodus than to arculus
length of stigma about the same as the width
Amphiagrion – red with dark areas on tip of abdomen
Argia – spines on tibia longer than the spaces in between them
females don't have a vulvar spine on abdominal segment 8
male cerci shorter than paraprocts
Chromagrion – no shoulder stripes
Enallagma – spines on tibia same length as the spaces in between the spines
females have a vulvar spine on abdominal segment 8
male cerci longer than paraprocts
Ischnura – eyespots
spines on tibia not longer than spaces
black shoulder stripes
projection on top of abdominal segment 10 (except Lilypad Forktail)
stigma on forewing and hindwing different color and size (except Fragile Forktail)
cerci normally shorter than paraprocts
Nehalennia – very small
top of thorax metallic green without any shoulder stripes
no eyespots
Amphiagrion saucium Eastern Red Damsel
Argia apicalis Blue-fronted Damsel
A. bipunctulata Seepage Dancer
A. fumipennis violacea Variable Dancer
A. moesta Powdered Dancer
A. pima Pima Dancer
A. plana Springwater Dancer
A. sedula Blue-ringed Dancer
A. tibialis Blue-tipped Dancer
A. translata Dusky Dancer
A. vivida Vivid Dancer
Chromagrion conditum Aurora Damsel
Enallagma antennatum Rainbow Bluet
E. aspersum Azure Bluet
E. basidens Double-striped Bluet
E. carunculatum Tule Bluet
E. civile Familiar Bluet
E. divagans Turquoise Bluet
E. ebrium Marsh Bluet
E. exsulans Stream Bluet
E. geminatum Skimming Bluet
E. hageni Hagen's Bluet
E. praevarum Arroyo Bluet
E. signatum Orange Bluet
E. traviatum Slender Bluet
E. vesperum Vesper Bluet
Ischnura damula Plains Forktail
I. hastata Citrine Forktail
I. kellicotti Lilypad Forktail
I. posita Fragile Forktail
I. ramburii Rambur's Forktail
I. verticalis Eastern Forktail
Nehalennia gracilis Sphagnum Sprite
N. irene Sedge Sprite
Sources:
Lam, Ed. 2004. Damselflies of the Northeast: A guide to the species of eastern Canada and the northeastern United States. New York: Biodiversity Books.
Trial, Linden and John Belshe. 2002. Atlas of Missouri Odonata. Missouri Department of Conservation.
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