About

Damselfly and Dragonfly Life List

This is my list of all the dragonflies and damselflies I have photographed and attempted to identify.

Dragonflies and damselflies, the Odonata order, like birds and butterflies, exist just about everywhere, but appear inconsistently everywhere they inhabit. This makes them equally intriguing as a traveler's game in identification.

I am always amazed by the diversity of the odonata, and particularly the rich and vivid hues found on some species in areas where few other creatures are similarly exotically colored.

There is a growing number of resources for identifying and creating a life list of dragonflies and damselflies, but the interest and marketplace is still in its infancy. An iPhone app by the reliable Birdseye Apps, Dragonfly ID, shows promise for North American species, north of Mexico.

I've organized my sightings into two major groups:

Dragonfly Life List

Lance-tipped DarnerAeshna constricta, photograhed in Beaverton, Oregon

Lance-tipped Darner Dragonfly

Pale Green DarnerTriacanthagyna septima, photographed at the Tambopata region of Peru

Pale Green Darner Dragonfly (Triacanthagyna septima)

Mexican AmberwingPerithemis intensa female, photographed in Henderson, Nevada.

Mexican Amberwing Dragonfly

Flame SkimmerEnallagma cyathigerum from Organ Pipe National Monument, Arizona

Flame Skimmer Dragonfly

Eight-Spotted SkimmerLibellula forensis, photographed in Beaverton, Oregon

Libellula forensis, photographed in Beaverton, Oregon

Widow SkimmerLibellula luctuosa, photographed in Beaverton, Oregon

Widow Skimmer Dragonfly

White-faced MeadowhawkSympetrum obtrusum, photographed in Wright County, Minnesota

White-faced Meadowhawk Dragonfly

Western PondhawkErythemis collocata from Sauvie Island, Oregon

Western Pondhawk Dragonfly

Pin-tailed PondhawkErythemis plebeja, photographed near Barranquilla, Colombia

Pin-tailed Pondhawk Dragonfly

Red PondhawkErythemis haematogastra, photographed near the Tambopata River region of Peru

Unidentified Dragonfly

Seaside DragonletErythrodiplax berenice from Playa Ancon, Cuba

Seaside Dragonlet Dragonfly

Seaside Dragonlet Photo 2Erythrodiplax berenice from Playa Ancon, Cuba

Erythrodiplax berenice dragonfly

Band-winged DragonletErythrodiplax umbrata from Abaco, Bahamas

Band-winged Dragonlet Dragonfly

Common WhitetailPlathemis lydia from Tualatin, Oregon

Common Whitetail Dragonfly

Variegated MeadowhawkSympetrum corruptum, photographed in Tualatin, Oregon. This is an adult female.

Variegated Pondhawk Dragonfly Female

Eastern AmberwingPerithemis tenera, female, photographed in Delano, Minnesota

Eastern Amberwing female (Perithemis tenera)

Blue-eyed DarnerAeshna multicolor, photographed at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington

Blue-eyed Darner Dragonfly

Common Green DarnerAnax junius, Boyscout Island, Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota. This female (which a dragonfly enthusiast friend noted has a bad case of water mites) has just captured a damselfly.

Unidentified Dragonfly

Halloween PennantCelithemis eponina, photographed in Central Minnesota. This striking dragonfly of Eastern North America is often confused with butterflies. The first photo is of a male, the second is a female.

Halloween Pennant Dragonfly Male (Celithemis eponina)
Halloween Pennant Female (Celithemis eponina)

Red-tailed PennantBrachymesia furcata, photographed in Camarones, La Guajira, Colombia.

Red-tailed Pennant (Brachymesia furcata)

Scarlet SkimmerCrocothemis servilia, photographed in Kauai, Hawaii. The first photo is a male, the second photo is a female.

Scarlet Skimmer Dragonfly
Scarlet Skimmer Female Dragonfly

Four-spotted SkimmerLibellula quadrimaculata, Crow-Hassan Park Reserve, Rogers, Minnesota

Unidentified Dragonfly

Twelve-spotted SkimmerLibellula pulchella, from Central Minnesota
First photo is of female. Second photo is of male.

Twelve-spotted Skimmer Dragonfly
Twelve-spotted Skimmer Male

Silver-sided SkimmerLibellula herculea, from Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Unidentified Dragonfly

Carmine SkipperOrthemis discolor, photographed in the Soberania Jungle, Panama

Carmine Skipper Dragonfly

Black SaddlebagsTramea lacerata, photographed at Koll Wetlands, Oregon

Black Saddlebags Dragonfly

Blue DasherPachydiplax longipennis, photographed at Koll Wetlands, Oregon

Blue Dasher Dragonfly

Black PetaltailTanypteryx hageni, photographed in the Jefferson Park Wilderness, Oregon

Black Petaltail Damselfly

Pronghorn ClubtailPhanogomphus graslinellus, Crow-Hassan Park Reserve, Rogers, Minnesota

Unidentified Dragonfly

Southern DarterSympetrum meridionale, Paros Park, Paros, Greece

Southern Darter Dragonfly

Pacific Clubtail, Phanogomphus kurilis, Tualatin, Oregon

Pacific Clubtail Dragonfly (Phanogomphus kurilis)

Unidentified DragonflyKoll Wetlands, Oregon

Unidentified Dragonfly

Unidentified DragonflyTambopata River, Peru

Unidentified Dragonfly

Damselfly Life List

Amythyst DancerArgia pallens photographed at Patagonia Lake, Arizona

Amythyst Dancer (Argia pallens)

River JewelwingArchilestes californica from Southeastern Oregon

River Jewelwing Damselfly (Archilestes californica)

Pacific ForktailIschnura cervula, from Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington

Pacific Forktail Damselfly (Ischnura cervula)

Rambur's ForktailIschnura ramburii, from Great Abaco Island, Bahamas

Rambur's Forktail

Rambur's ForktailIschnura ramburii, from Baja Sur, Mexico

Rambur's Forktail

Rambur's ForktailIschnura ramburii, female, from Baja Sur, Mexico

Rambur's Forktail Female

Rainbow BluetEnallagma antennatum, from Boyscout Island, Minnetrista, Minnesota

Rainbow Bluet Damselfly (Enallagma antennatum)

California Spreadwing DamselflyCalopteryx aequabilis, photographed in Tualatin National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon

California Spreadwing Damselfly

Spotted Spreadwing DamselflyLestes congener, photographed at Koll Wetlands, Oregon

Spotted Spreadwing Damselfly (Lestes congener)

Southern Spreadwing DamselflyLestes australis, photographed in Wright County, Minnesota

Southern Spreadwing Damselfly (Lestes australis)

Western Red DamselAmphiagrion abbreviatum, from Sauvie Island, Oregon

Unidentified Damselfly

Common Blue DamselflyEnallagma cyathigerum

Common Blue Damselfly

Microstigma rotundatum Helicopter DamselflyPhotographed on the Napo River, Ecuador

Microstigma rotundatum (Helicopter Damselfly)

Lemon-tipped HelicopterMecistogaster ornata, photographed near Minca, Magdalena, Colombia

Lemon-tipped Helicopter

Unidentified Damselflyfrom Tambopata River region of Peru

Unidentified Damselfly

Unidentified Damselflyfrom Koll Wetlands, Oregon

Unidentified Damselfly

Unidentified Damselflyfrom Koll Wetlands, Oregon

Unidentified Damselfly

Unidentified Damselflyfrom Boyscout Island, Minnetrista, Minnesota

Unidentified Damselfly

Explore more in About Us


Write to Erik Gauger of Notes from the Road

A list of all the birds I've seen in my life, with illustrations.

A list of all the butterflies I've identified in my life, with photographs.

A list of all the reptiles I've identfiied in my life, with illustrations.

A list of all the amphibians I've seen in my life, with illustrations.

A list of all the Odonata insects I've seen in my life, with illustrations.

A list of all the mammals I've seen in my life.

A collection of photographs of spiders and other arachnids I've seen while photographing for Notes from the Road.

Explore my list of fish species that I have identified.

My list of extraordinary road-trip approved Grateful Dead jams.

My list of the best Phish jams for traveling and road trips.

My gallery of feral, stray and wild country cats.