Butterflies, Moths, Dragonflies & Damselflies of Dayton, Ohio

Female Eastern Forktail. Older females are blue-gray with green eyes. This species flies throughout most of the odonata season, from April through October (my personal extreme early and late sightings are April 8th and October 21st).

Another orange Eastern Forktail. The black abdomen tip distinguishes this species from the Orange Bluet. (The latter has an orange abdomen tip.) 

Male Eastern Forktail. These tiny little damselflies are abundant and widespread in our area. The thoracic stripes are green in males, and the tip of the abdomen is blue. 

Fragile Forktail. Notice that the green thoracic stripes are broken in the middle, making them resemble exclamation points.

Fragile Forktails have a long flight period; my extreme early and late dates are April 2nd and November 2nd. (The one I found on April 2nd is my earliest personal sighting of any damselfly species.) 

Alright, now it is time for some fun ones! The forktail at left has broken stripes but a blue abdomen tip. So that makes him ... an Eastern Forktail with broken stripes. Yes, Eastern Forktails occasionally have broken stripes like a Fragile Forktail (just to keep things confusing). However, a Fragile Forktail would never have a blue abdomen tip like this.  

The Eastern Forktail at left is even more unusual. This is an andromorph female (a female with male patterns). Photographed at Spring Lakes Park in Bellbrook.  

Eastern Forktails are Ohio's most common species of damselfly. 

Another andromorph Eastern Forktail, found at Beavercreek Wildlife Area. 

Fragile Forktails are very common and widespread in our area. They are found at all manner of ponds, lakes, and wetlands. 

This is a female Fragile Forktail. They are very similar to female Eastern Forktails, but note the broken stripe on the thorax.