If you live in the Northwest, especially the Willamette Valley of Oregon or Puget Sound region of Washington, the following is a short list of common dragonflies you can start with. This list includes a dozen dragonflies and damselflies that are distinctive. In a couple cases we lump closely related species that are easy to distinguish as a group (though hard to tell apart) as a good place to start.
Here are a few common dragonflies to start with in our area. If you visit any pond in the region you are likely to see several of these. Note that I am only showing the males as these more distinctive and more commonly seen.
Skimmers
Skimmers are a large family that are particularly common in ponds on the valley floor.
Eight-spotted Skimmer. Eight-spotted Skimmers are quite distinctive with eight black spots on its wings.
Twelve-spotted Skimmer. Twelve-spotted Skimmers, close cousin to the Eight-spotted, are also common. You can sometimes see them together in the same pond. Count the black wing spots to tell them apart. The Twelve-spotted has an extra black spot on each wingtip.
Widow Skimmer. The large rounded wing patches are distinctive.
Common Whitetail. The Common Whitetail has a large spot in the middle of each wing. Also note the white, rather heavy set, abdomen. These often rest on rocks rather than vegetation.
Red Skimmers
Cardinal Meadowhawk. This striking dragonfly can often be seen perched on a prominent shrub or branch near a pond. It is quite common in our area. You may start noticing, however, that we have a few other red Meadowhawks around, usually with a bit of black along the abdomen, but these are much less common. For now you could think of them simply as "Red" Meadowhawks.
Variegated Meadowhawk. Another distinctive and common Meadowhawk is the Variegated. While the abdomen has some red, there are other colors as well.
Small Skimmers
Western Pondhawk. The Western Pondhawk is a small Skimmer found in good numbers along the edge of ponds.
Blue Dasher. The Blue Dasher is another small Skimmer often found along side the Western Pondhawk. It is similar to the Western Pondhawk in size, color, and behavior, but the lighter green eyes and the gold patch of stripes on the abdomen set it apart.
Darners
While Skimmers tend to perch, Darners are almost always seen in flight patrolling the edges of the pond. However, their size and color scheme usually make it possible to make a partial identification.
Green Darner. The largest dragonfly in our area is the Common Green Darner. Their size and green head in contrast to the blue abdomen are easily noticed, even when it is in motion (as it almost always is).
"Striped" Darners. There are several large Darners in our area with diagonal stripes on the thorax and spots along the abdomen. Unfortunately, you usually find them busy patrolling an area of the pond and rarely see them at rest where you could study them carefully. Initially, simply note their size, stripes, and spots.
Damselflies are generally quite small and beginners often overlook them. At rest, they hold their wings back or at an angle.
Pond damsels
Pacific Forktail. The four blue spots on the thorax make this little fellow easy to distinguish. Note that the wings are held over its back.
Bluet This little Bluet is eating a bug. While there are several Bluet species, they are very similar. Start by learning to recognize this simply as a Bluet.
Jewelwings
River Jewelwing. This distinctive fellow can be found along a riverbank.
Spreadwings
Spreadwings. At rest, spreadwings hold their wings back but spread at an angle. The species are fairly similar. Start by simply recognizing the wing position as a Spreadwing.
Note. I am indebted to Jim Johnson for a presentation that gave me the idea for this page.
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