Images added 8 June 2004; text revised January 2007
These dragonflies are being scanned as they are collected, beginning 1997. An attempt is being made to acquire representatives of all Northwest species and their individual variation (primarily sex and age). All images are scanned on a Hewlett Packard ScanJet 4C/T with DeskScan II into Adobe PhotoShop 3.0 (upgraded to 5.5 in 2000) and saved as JPEG images at 300 dpi. Larger dragonflies are usually at 200-250%, damselflies at 400-500%, but there is much variation. All photographs copyrighted by Dennis Paulson, except those scanned by Kathy Biggs copyrighted by her.
I greatly appreciate the folks at the web site Digital Dragonflies for stimulating this project and for furnishing the technical advice on how to make it work. That site has abundant and beautiful scanned images of Odonata from central Texas.
Calopterygidae
Calopteryx aequabilis, River Jewelwing
Lestidae
Archilestes californicus, California Spreadwing
Archilestes grandis, Great Spreadwing
Lestes congener, Spotted Spreadwing
Lestes disjunctus, Northern Spreadwing
Lestes dryas, Emerald Spreadwing
Lestes forcipatus, Sweetflag Spreadwing
Lestes stultus, Black Spreadwing
Lestes unguiculatus, Lyre-tipped Spreadwing
The four common spreadwings (Lestes) in the Pacific Northwest
Coenagrionidae
Amphiagrion abbreviatum, Western Red Damsel
Argia alberta, Paiute Dancer
Argia emma, Emma's Dancer
Argia fumipennis, Variable Dancer
Argia lugens, Sooty Dancer
Argia vivida, Vivid Dancer
Coenagrion interrogatum, Subarctic Bluet
Coenagrion resolutum, Taiga Bluet
Enallagma anna, River Bluet
Enallagma annexum, Northern Bluet
Enallagma boreale, Boreal Bluet
Enallagma carunculatum, Tule Bluet
Enallagma clausum, Alkali Bluet
Enallagma hageni, Hagen's Bluet
Ischnura cervula, Pacific Forktail
Ischnura damula, Plains Forktail
Ischnura denticollis, Black-fronted Forktail
Ischnura erratica, Swift Forktail
Ischnura gemina, San Francisco Forktail
Ischnura perparva, Western Forktail
Ischnura verticalis, Eastern Forktail
Nehalennia irene, Sedge Sprite
Telebasis salva, Desert Firetail
Zoniagrion exclamationis, Exclamation Damsel
Petaluridae
Tanypteryx hageni, Black Petaltail
Aeshnidae
Aeshna canadensis, Canada Darner
Aeshna constricta, Lance-tipped Darner
Aeshna eremita, Lake Darner
Aeshna interrupta, Variable Darner
- striped male
- spotted male
- variation in thoracic markings of males from one locality
- heteromorph female
- heteromorph female
- andromorph female
Aeshna juncea, Sedge Darner
Aeshna palmata, Paddle-tailed Darner
Aeshna septentrionalis, Azure Darner
Aeshna sitchensis, Zigzag Darner
Aeshna subarctica, Subarctic Darner
Aeshna tuberculifera, Black-tipped Darner
Aeshna umbrosa, Shadow Darner
- male (typical "A. u. occidentalis" with relatively large blue abdominal spots)
- male (typical "A. u. umbrosa" with small green abdominal spots but nowhere near the range of that subspecies!)
- heteromorph female
- heteromorph female
- andromorph female
Aeshna walkeri, Walker's Darner
Anax junius, Common Green Darner
Anax walsinghami, Giant Darner
Rhionaeschna californica, California Darner
Rhionaeschna multicolor, Blue-eyed Darner
Gomphidae
Arigomphus cornutus, Horned Clubtail
Erpetogomphus compositus, White-belted Ringtail
Gomphus graslinellus, Pronghorn Clubtail
Gomphus kurilis, Pacific Clubtail
Gomphus lynnae, Columbia Clubtail
Octogomphus specularis, Grappletail
Ophiogomphus morrisoni, Great Basin Snaketail
Ophiogomphus occidentis, Sinuous Snaketail
Ophiogomphus severus, Pale Snaketail
Stylurus olivaceus, Olive Clubtail
Cordulegastridae
Cordulegaster dorsalis, Pacific Spiketail
Macromiidae
Macromia magnifica, Western River Cruiser
Corduliidae
Cordulia shurtleffii, American Emerald
Epitheca canis, Beaverpond Baskettail
Epitheca spinigera, Spiny Baskettail
Somatochlora albicincta, Ringed Emerald
Somatochlora cingulata, Lake Emerald
Somatochlora franklini, Delicate Emerald
Somatochlora minor, Ocellated Emerald
Somatochlora semicircularis, Mountain Emerald
Somatochlora septentrionalis, Muskeg Emerald
Somatochlora walshii, Brush-tipped Emerald
Somatochlora whitehousei, Whitehouse's Emerald
Libellulidae
Erythemis collocata, Western Pondhawk
Ladona julia, Chalk-fronted Corporal
Leucorrhinia glacialis, Crimson-ringed Whiteface
Leucorrhinia hudsonica, Hudsonian Whiteface
Leucorrhinia intacta, Dot-tailed Whiteface
Leucorrhinia proxima, Belted Whiteface
Libellula comanche, Comanche Skimmer
Libellula composita, Bleached Skimmer
Libellula forensis, Eight-spotted Skimmer
Notice the geographic variation shown here. Western Washington (King County) individuals of this species are much less heavily marked with pruinosity than those from east of the Cascades (Yakima and Kittitas counties). Note the eggs under the abdomen tip of the King County female.
Comparison between Libellula forensis and Libellula pulchella
Libellula luctuosa, Widow Skimmer
Libellula nodisticta, Hoary Skimmer
Libellula pulchella, Twelve-spotted Skimmer
Libellula quadrimaculata, Four-spotted Skimmer
Pachydiplax longipennis, Blue Dasher
Pantala hymenaea, Spot-winged Glider
Plathemis lydia, Common Whitetail
Plathemis subornata, Desert Whitetail
Sympetrum corruptum, Variegated Meadowhawk
Sympetrum costiferum, Saffron-winged Meadowhawk
Sympetrum danae, Black Meadowhawk
Sympetrum illotum, Cardinal Meadowhawk
Sympetrum internum, Cherry-faced Meadowhawk
Sympetrum madidum, Red-veined Meadowhawk
Sympetrum obtrusum, White-faced Meadowhawk
Sympetrum occidentale, Western Meadowhawk
Two subspecies are illustrated here. The first male and female are S. o. occidentale from Washington, while the second male, with more vivid wing markings, is S. o. fasciatum from Nebraska.
Sympetrum pallipes, Striped Meadowhawk
Notice the geographic variation shown here. Individuals of this species from wetter, cooler regions (Kittitas County) are more heavily marked with black than those from east of the Cascades (Okanogan and Douglas counties).
Sympetrum rubicundulum, Ruby Meadowhawk
These individuals, with conspicuous wing markings, are typical of those from the western part of the range. In the East, the wings are clear.