Jewelwings

 Jewelwings are broadwing damselflies. Damselflies are different from dragonflies because all four of their wings are approximately the same size and shape. With dragonflies their front wings are a different size and shape then their hind wings. Broadwinged damselflies get their name because the base of their wings gradually broaden unlike other damselfly families whose wings connect to the thorax in more of a stalk shape.

Here in Minnesota we have only 3 species of broadwing damselfly. They are the American rubyspot, which is a metallic red in color, and the two jewelwings. The two species that we have look very similar with a metallic green thorax and abdomen. The difference is in the wings. The wings of the ebony jewelwing, top, are entirely black where the river jewelwing has wings that are black at the tip and clear at the base. Both of these species are usually found around rivers and they often share the same habitat. Jewelwings with a white stigma, white spot on the wing, indicate that the damselfly is a female.

Ebony Jewelwing

Damselflies are typically more difficult to photograph then dragonflies. Because of their small size it is difficult to get a focus on them using a long lens. However getting in close with a macro lens is no easy task either since they will usually fly away when you get that close. Fortunately some of the most spectacular looking damselflies in this area are large enough to photograph just like a dragonfly.

The broad-winged family of dragonflies are typically large and flashy. Most of the broad-winged damsels are found in the tropical areas of the world, with only around ten types found in North America, but we do have four that are found in this area. Two of the four are members of the genus Calopteryx which are more commonly known as jewelwings. The ebony jewelwing is usually found around small to medium size streams. They are a fluorescent blue or green color, depending on the light, with completely black wings. In the two photographs above the top one is a male and the bottom is a female. We can tell because the female has a white pseudostigma, white dot, near the tip of her wings. I photographed these ebony jewelwing where the Sunrise River intersects the Larger St Croix River in Wild River State Park.