CPIE Aquatic Environments


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Order ODONATA

Suborder Anisoptera (dragonflies)

Key to Hawaiian Dragonflies (Odonata, Anisoptera)¹

	135a	(125)	Triangles in front and hind wings similar in shape and equidistant from arculus. { Large blue and/or green with black, fast flying dragonflies. Typically around streams and large ponds. Darners ~ Family AESHNIDAE	[137]
	135b		Triangles in front and hind wings not similar in shape; triangles in front wing further from arculus than triangles in hind wing. { Moderate to large size dragonflies. Color may be red, lavender, yellow, orange, or very dark. Typically around marshlands and small bodies of water. Skimmers ~ Family LIBELLULIDAE	[138]
			~~~~~ Nymphs (aquatic) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	136a	(125)	Labium flat under face; lateral lobes or palps narrow, with a prominent movable hook meeting pincher-like in front ~ Family AESHNIDAE Anax junius (Drury) - common, lowlands Anax strenuus Hagen - higher elevations
	136b		Labium spoon-shaped, covering much of face; palps broad, subtriangular in shape, closing against each other along a wide, toothed surface ~ Family LIBELLULIDAE	[142]
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¹ Couplets are part of Keys to the Aquatic Biota of the Hawaiian Islands . If uncertain whether the insect specimen to be identified is an odonate (dragonfly or damselfly), begin the key here.

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Family AESHNIDAE (darners)

	137a	(135)	Costal margins of wings blackish brown. Very large, { mostly blue dragonfly found at higher elevations. Pinao ~ Anax strenuus Hagen
	137b		Costal margins of wings yellowish-brown. { Large blue and green dragonfly, common at moderate to low elevations. Green darner ~ Anax junius (Drury)

* Native dragonflies
• Anax junius (Drury) - scanned images, Texas

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Family LIBELLULIDAE (skimmers)

	138a	(135)	Hind wings very much broader (2 x or more) near the base than forewings; stigma length about 1/3 breadth of wing behind it	[139]
	138b		Hind wings only slightly broader (about 1.5 x) than forewings near base. Stigma about 1/2 or more the breadth of wing behind it	[140]
			~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	139a	(138)	Vein R3 conspicuously undulated on both wings; hindwings with a patch of gold color close to body. { Coloration brown to yellow brown. Common, particularly in open areas, sometimes far from water. Globe skimmer ~ Pantala flavescens (Fabr.)
	139b		Vein R3 strongly arcuate, but not undulate; hindwings with large, irregular maculae (colored areas). Uncommon ~ Tramea lacerata Hagen
			~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	140a	(138)	Body dark, blackish with yellow-brown or yellow-green dashes on thorax. Abdomen swollen at base and enlarged at tip (club-shaped). Uncommon ~ Nesogonia blackburni (McLachlan)
	140b		Body brightly colored, yellow-brown, red, lavender, or purple. Abdomen with sides parallel and generally widest at a point midway along length, with last 2 or 3 segments tapering down	[141]
			~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	141a	(140)	Color bright red (males) or yellow (females). Stigma about half as long as wing breadth behind it; wings with small brownish patches near base. Common ~ Crocothemis servilia Drury
	141b		Color dull to bright lavender. Stigma very prominant, about as long as wing breadth behind it; wings otherwise clear. Very common ~ Orthemis ferruginea (Fabricius)
			~~~~~ Nymphs (aquatic) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	142a	(136)	Postero-lateral spines on last two complete abdominal segments long and conspicuous	[145]
	142b		Lateral spine-like projections at posterior angles of last two complete abdominal segments very short	[143]
			~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	143a	(142)	Eyes small and columnar, rising vertically well above forehead ~ Orthemis ferruginea (Fabricius)
	143b		Eyes not columnar; larger, dome-shaped and placed laterally on head ~ Crocothemis ~ Nesogonia
			~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	145a	(142)	Teeth on lateral lobes of labium acute, strongly developed ~ Pantala flavescens (Fabricius)
	145b		Teeth on lateral lobes of labium low, obtuse, obscure ~ Tramea lacerata Hagen
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* Introduced dragonflies

• Crocothemis servilia Drury / photo.
  The scarlet skimmer or Chinese dragonfly is a species fairly recently introduced on O`ahu (from Asia) and Kaua`i.

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Last modified on September 5, 2002 by Guinther (guinther@hawaii.rr.com)