“Greeneyed Skimmer, Emeralds”
“Baskettails”
Family Overview
This dragonfly family includes roughly 7 North American genera and 50 species, and unlike most dragonfly familes, tends to have more species found in the North than the South. They can be found in varying habitats including streams, as well as lentic habitats such as lakes, ponds, and wetlands. They are sprawlers along the benthos and climbers on plants. Nymphs can be easily confused with those of the family Libellulidae (Common Skimmers) but can be identified with close attention to the presence of a longitudinal groove on the base of the ventral surface of the labial mask. They molt into adults at roughly the same time as burrowing mayflies, one of their favorite foods.
Characteristics
POLLUTION TOLERANCE
Mid-Atlantic: 1 - 4
Upper Midwest: 0 - 5
Southeast: 1.6 - 8.9
0 = least tolerant, 10 = most tolerant
FEEDING HABITS
Engulfer / Predator
MOVEMENT
Climber
Sprawler
Sprawler
Media
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“Baskettails”
Diagnostic Characters
