Cedar Creek
Natural History Area

Insects of Cedar Creek

Order ODONATA

Family COENAGRIONIDAE

(Narrow-winged Damsels)

(Table of Species)

     The Narrow-winged Damselflies (92 NA spp) are mostly small fragile species frequently marked with blue and black.  21+ species in the genera Argia, Amphiagrion, Anomalagrion?, Chromagrion, Coenagrion, Enallagma, Ischnura, and Nehalennia have been collected in Minnesota.
     This family contains the majority of Damselflies occuring on Cedar Creek (ca 10 spp). All are small fragile species having few characteristics to get excited about. They are inhabitants of permanent ponds and marshes and are on the wing throughout much of the summer.

     Nehalennia irene is a delicate metallic green species that emerges abundantly from most of the Area's ponds and marshes in early summer. Ischnura verticalis and Coenagrion resolutum  are considerably less common.

     However, by far the most conspicuous members of this family are the Bluets, Enallagma species. These delicate damselflies with blue abdomens ringed in varying amounts of black line the edges of lakes and ponds for much of the summer. E. boreale is the first to emerge from Beckman Lake and some smaller ponds. E. vernale is also present. These species are soon followed by E. hageni and E. ebrium. which emerge abundantly along the shoreline of Fish Lake. Smaller numbers of E. carunculatum and E. vesperum have also been collected from Fish Lake in late summer.  A few additional species of Enallagma may well occur here.

jhaar@lter.umn.edu Last updated May, 2000