Sedge Sprite Nehalennia irene

DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFLIES OF WEST VIRGINIA SPECIES PAGE

The male Sedge Sprite (shown above) is hard to mistake for any other West Virginia damselfly. Unlike metallic green Spreadwings or Jewelwings, Sprites have relatively narrow wings that are held above the abdomen when at rest. West Virginia has two species of Sprite, but the other species, Sphagnum Sprite (N. gracilis) has a completely blue tip of the abdomen, without metallic green peeking through in spots.

Female Sedge Sprites differ from the males in having the lower part of the sides of the thorax a pale yellowish color. Also, females have little to none of the pale blue coloration on the tip of the abdomen.

The overall range of this species includes southern Canada and the northern United States, occasionally reaching as far south as South Carolina and California.

In West Virginia I have encountered this species only in wetlands in the mountains, but nationally it is sometimes reported from other habitats such as woodland vernal pools.

Unlike the Sphagnum Sprite (N. gracilis), the Sedge Sprite has dark green peeking through the pale blue on the tip of the abodmen.

The species lacks eyespots, but there is a pale blue bar behind the ocelli (simple eyes).

The lower part of the sides of the thorax are white to yellow on female Sedge Sprites. Another characteristic of the females is that the tip of the abdomen has little to none of the turquoise blue color found in males.

A mating pair of Sedge Sprites, in the “wheel position.” This position for mating is common to both damselflies and dragonflies.

All images on this page are © Stephen Cresswell.

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