Sedge sprite

Sedge sprite
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Odonata
Family:	Coenagrionidae
Genus:	Nehalennia
Species:	N. irene
Binomial name
	Nehalennia irene; (Hagen, 1861)

Last updated May 01, 2019

The sedge sprite (Nehalennia irene) is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae.

Damselflies are insects of the suborder Zygoptera in the order Odonata. They are similar to dragonflies, which constitute the other odonatan suborder, Anisoptera, but are smaller, have slimmer bodies, and most species fold the wings along the body when at rest. An ancient group, damselflies have existed since at least the Lower Permian, and are found on every continent except Antarctica.

Family is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy; it is classified between order and genus. A family may be divided into subfamilies, which are intermediate ranks between the ranks of family and genus. The official family names are Latin in origin; however, popular names are often used: for example, walnut trees and hickory trees belong to the family Juglandaceae, but that family is commonly referred to as being the "walnut family".

The insect family Coenagrionidae is placed in the order Odonata and the suborder Zygoptera. The Zygoptera are the damselflies, which although less known than the dragonflies, are no less common. More than 1,100 species are in this family, making it the largest damselfly family. The family Coenagrionidae has six subfamilies: Agriocnemidinae, Argiinae, Coenagrioninae, Ischnurinae, Leptobasinae, and Pseudagrioninae.

Identification

On male sedge sprites, the thorax is bright green above and black above blue or yellow-green on the sides. His abdomen is dark iridescent green and has a blue tip with dark green spots. His large eyes are black above blue with a thin blue bar across the top of the head. On female sedge sprites, the back of the thorax is dark green and the sides are yellowish. Her abdomen is dark above and yellowish below. Her large eyes are greenish or yellowish.

Diet

The sedge sprite feeds on insects. This damselfly flight pattern is low, in and out of vegetation away from open water.

Size

The sedge sprite is a rather small damselfly in size. It has an average length of 1-1.5 inches (25-38 millimeters).

Habitat

The sedge sprite is usually found along vernal pools, marshes and grassy ponds.

Distribution

United States: (Alaska • California • Connecticut • District Of Columbia • Delaware • Iowa • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Kentucky • Massachusetts • Maryland • Maine • Michigan • Minnesota • Montana • Nebraska • North Dakota • New Hampshire • New Jersey • Ohio • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • Utah • Vermont • Washington • Wisconsin • West Virginia • Wyoming)
Canada: (Alberta • British Columbia • Manitoba • New Brunswick • Newfoundland and Labrador • Northwest Territories • Nova Scotia • Nunavut • Ontario • Prince Edward Island • Quebec • Saskatchewan)

Alaska is a U.S. state in the northwest extremity of North America, just across the Bering Strait from Asia. The Canadian province of British Columbia and territory of Yukon border the state to the east and southeast. Its most extreme western part is Attu Island, and it has a maritime border with Russia to the west across the Bering Strait. To the north are the Chukchi and Beaufort seas—southern parts of the Arctic Ocean. The Pacific Ocean lies to the south and southwest. It is the largest U.S. state by area and the seventh largest subnational division in the world. In addition, it is the 3rd least populous and the most sparsely populated of the 50 United States; nevertheless, it is by far the most populous territory located mostly north of the 60th parallel in North America: its population—estimated at 738,432 by the United States Census Bureau in 2015— is more than quadruple the combined populations of Northern Canada and Greenland. Approximately half of Alaska's residents live within the Anchorage metropolitan area. Alaska's economy is dominated by the fishing, natural gas, and oil industries, resources which it has in abundance. Military bases and tourism are also a significant part of the economy.

California is a state in the Pacific Region of the United States. With 39.6 million residents, California is the most populous U.S. state and the third-largest by area. The state capital is Sacramento. The Greater Los Angeles Area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nation's second- and fifth-most populous urban regions, with 18.7 million and 9.7 million residents respectively. Los Angeles is California's most populous city, and the country's second-most populous, after New York City. California also has the nation's most populous county, Los Angeles County, and its largest county by area, San Bernardino County. The City and County of San Francisco is both the country's second-most densely populated major city after New York City and the fifth-most densely populated county, behind only four of the five New York City boroughs.

Connecticut is the southernmost state in the New England region of the United States. As of the 2010 Census, it has the highest per-capita income, Human Development Index (0.962), and median household income in the United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capital is Hartford and its most populous city is Bridgeport. It is part of New England, although portions of it are often grouped with New York and New Jersey as the Tri-state area. The state is named for the Connecticut River which approximately bisects the state. The word "Connecticut" is derived from various anglicized spellings of an Algonquian word for "long tidal river".

Flight season

The sedge sprite is most active through mid May to early September.

Habits

This species of damselfly has relatively narrow wings that are held above the abdomen when at rest. It will perch on many emergent plants.

Similar species

Sedge sprites are similar to sphagnum sprites and southern sprites.

Nehalennia gracilis, the sphagnum sprite, is a species of narrow-winged damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. It is found in North America.

Nehalennia integricollis, the southern sprite, is a species of narrow-winged damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. It is found in North America.

Related Research Articles

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Ischnura aurora, golden dartlet, also known as the aurora bluetail, is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae.

Pseudagrion newtoni, the harlequin sprite, is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae.

Pseudagrion sublacteum or cherry-eye sprite is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. It is found in Africa from northern South Africa to West and North Africa, and in the Middle East.

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Nehalennia is a genus of very small damselflies in the family Coenagrionidae. Most of the species are commonly known as Sprites. One species, N. speciosa occurs in Eurasia; the rest in North and South America.

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Pseudagrion caffrum, the springwater sprite is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. It is found in Lesotho, South Africa and Swaziland. Its natural habitats include montane streams with grassy banks.

Proischnura polychromatica, the mauve bluet, is a small species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. It is endemic to a small area of Cape Province in South Africa. The adult male has a mauve sheen to its dark-coloured body, a bronze-green thorax striped with mauve, and a pale brown abdomen with a bronze-green dorsal stripe. The female is mainly pale brown. The natural habitat of this damselfly is transient pools in stream beds with floating vegetation, especially sedges. Although previously more widespread, it is now known from a single location where it is threatened by the encroachment of cattle and the loss of suitable habitat. For these reasons, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated it as "endangered".

Ceriagrion coromandelianum is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. it is commonly known as coromandel marsh dart and yellow waxtail. This species can be found in South Asian countries such as: India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal.

Paracercion malayanum, Malay lillysquatter, is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. It is known to occur in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Java, Philippines and Thailand.

Pseudagrion malabaricum, Malabar sprite, jungle grass dart, is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. It is found in India, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar.

Pseudagrion rubriceps, saffron-faced blue dart, is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. It is found in many tropical Asian countries.

Pseudagrion decorum, elegant sprite or three striped blue dart, is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. It is found in many tropical Asian countries.

Ischnura erratica, the swift forktail, is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. It is native to the Pacific Northwest, ranging from British Columbia to northern California.

Pseudagrion indicum, yellow-striped blue dart or yellow-striped dart, is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. It is found only in Western Ghats of India.

Ischnura rubilio, western golden dartlet, is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. It is found in Indian subcontinent and Iran.

References

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