insect · GBIF taxon 5052005
Ebony Jewelwing
Calopteryx maculataAlso known as Black-winged Damselfly
Ebony jewelwings flutter through shaded forest streams with a distinctive, butterfly-like flight that shows off their brilliant metallic-green bodies and velvet-black wings. Males aggressively defend sunny patches of water, chasing rivals and performing elaborate courtship dances to attract females. Their aquatic nymphs develop in clean, flowing water, making these damselflies excellent indicators of healthy stream ecosystems.
MetallicStream DwellerDiurnal
- diet
- Small flying insects including mosquitoes, midges, gnats, and flies
- family
- Calopterygidae
- threats
- Water pollution, siltation, and removal of protective streamside canopy cover
- life Span
- 1 to 2 years (mostly spent as aquatic nymphs; adults live for a few weeks)
LC
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- Look near water: Search along shaded, slow-flowing woodland streams where they perch on low vegetation.
- Watch the flight: Observe their distinctive, bouncy, butterfly-like flight pattern as they defend territories.
- Spot the females: Look for the prominent white spot near the tip of their smoky-brown wings.