| Hudsonian whiteface | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Odonata |
| Infraorder: | Anisoptera |
| Family: | Libellulidae |
| Genus: | Leucorrhinia |
| Species: | L. hudsonica |
| Binomial name | |
| Leucorrhinia hudsonica (Selys, 1850) | |
The Hudsonian whiteface (Leucorrhinia hudsonica) is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. Its common name comes from where it is found, Hudson Bay.
The Hudsonian whiteface has a length of 27 to 30 mm (1.1 to 1.2 in). [1] Male dragonflies are black and marked with red on the thorax and the abdomen. [2] [3] The elongated spots on the abdomen are possibly pointed on one end, this forms a line along the length of the top side of the abdomen. The female is a dark brownish color and marked similarly to the male except the markings are yellow instead of black. Both sexes have creamy white faces. [1]
The naiad of the Hudsonian whiteface has a length of 16 to 18 millimetres (0.63 to 0.71 in). [1] Its abdomen is rounded, which gives it a short, stocky appearance known as the sprawler form. Naiads are brown with three dark stripes marking the length below the abdomen. In some cases, there are tiny hooks on abdominal segments three through six. [1] Every side of abdominal segments eight and nine has a spine that points out away from the abdomen.
The Hudsonian whiteface is found in an area stretching from Alaska to Labrador [1] and from the Hudson Bay to northern West Virginia. [3]
Hudsonian whitefaces are usually found at vegetated ponds, sloughs, sand-bottom lakes, bogs, and fens. The bogs are at higher elevations.
These dragonflies have a flight season to early May to late August.
These dragonflies will feed on almost any soft-bodied flying insect such as mosquitoes, flies, butterflies, moths, mayflies, and flying ants or termites.
The naiad of the Hudsonian whiteface has a wide variety diet. They feed on aquatic insects, such as mosquito larvae, other aquatic fly larvae, mayfly larvae, and freshwater shrimp. They sometimes eat small fish and tadpoles.
The naiads of these dragonflies live in submerged vegetation. They do not actively pursue prey but wait for it to pass by. This strategy affords them protection from other predators. Naiads change to adults at night. Many records of this species is sparse, adults are believed to fly from late May to mid-August. They also fly at different times. The hunting occurs from the shoreline vegetation, where this species perches. Many specimen from Idaho tend to be larger than those found further north in its region. Hudsonian whitefaces have been known to swarm over sphagnum bogs in the northern part of its range.
After mating, a male guards a female to prevent other males from mating with her. He does this by flying above her while she laying her eggs. It drives away other potential mates or maybe dragonflies of other species. [3] The female lays her eggs by dipping the tip of her abdomen in the water while hovering above the surface.
Hudsonian whitefaces are similar to Sympetrum species in appearance and behavior in some cases. Species within this genus are similar-looking and change in appearance as they age.
Populations of this species are widespread, abundant, and secure.
Odonata is an order of flying insects that includes the dragonflies and damselflies. Like most other flying insects, they evolved in the early Mesozoic era. Their prototypes, the giant dragonflies of the Carboniferous, 325 MYA, are no longer placed in the Odonata but included in the Protodonata or Meganisoptera.
A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the order Odonata, infraorder Anisoptera. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonfly are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threatens dragonfly populations around the world. Adult dragonflies are characterized by a pair of large, multifaceted compound eyes, two pairs of strong, transparent wings, sometimes with coloured patches, and an elongated body. Many dragonflies have brilliant iridescent or metallic colours produced by structural colouration, making them conspicuous in flight. An adult dragonfly's compound eyes have nearly 24,000 ommatidia each.
Damselflies are flying insects of the suborder Zygoptera in the order Odonata. They are similar to dragonflies, which constitute the other odonatan suborder, Anisoptera, but are smaller and have slimmer bodies. Most species fold the wings along the body when at rest, unlike dragonflies which hold the wings flat and away from the body. An ancient group, damselflies have existed since at least the Lower Permian, and are found on every continent except Antarctica.
The common whitetail or long-tailed skimmer is a common dragonfly across much of North America, with a striking and unusual appearance. The male's chunky white body, combined with the brownish-black bands on its otherwise translucent wings, give it a checkered look. Females have a brown body and a different pattern of wing spots, closely resembling that of female Libellula pulchella, the twelve-spotted skimmer. Whitetail females can be distinguished by their smaller size, shorter bodies, and white zigzag abdominal stripes; the abdominal stripes of L. puchella are straight and yellow.
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The white-faced darter or small whiteface is a dragonfly belonging to the genus Leucorrhinia in the family Libellulidae, characterised by red and black markings and a distinctive white patch on the head. It is found in wetlands and peat bogs from northern Europe eastwards to Siberia, and the adults are active from around April till September, which is known as the "flight period". It breeds in acidic bodies of water, laying its eggs in clumps of sphagnum moss that provide a safe habitat for larval development. The larvae are particularly vulnerable to predation by fish, and so are usually found in lakes where fish are not present. L. dubia is listed as a species of least concern (LC) by the IUCN Red List, however, it is potentially threatened by habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change.
Sympetrum vicinum, the yellow-legged meadowhawk or autumn meadowhawk, is a member of the Libellulidae family and grows to 26–35 mm long.
The tule bluet is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae found in North America, from northern Mexico to southern Canada.
The band-winged meadowhawk is a dragonfly of the genus Sympetrum belonging to the family Libellulidae.
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The dot-tailed whiteface is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is also one of the most common and widespread in the genus Leucorrhinia.
The shadow darner is a species of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae. It is found in almost all of Canada and most states in the United States.
The desert whitetail is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. P. subornata is often put into the genus Libellula.
Sympetrum madidum, the red-veined meadowhawk, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae.
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Progomphus borealis is a species of dragonfly in the family Gomphidae. This dragonfly species is commonly known as the gray sanddragon.
Gomphurus externus, the plains clubtail, is a species of dragonfly in the family Gomphidae.
Phanogomphus graslinellus is a species of dragonfly in the family Gomphidae. This species is commonly known as the pronghorn clubtail.