citrine forktail

citrine forktail (Ischnura hastata) [female]
Photo © Mary Kay Rubey

citrine forktail (Ischnura hastata) [male]
Photo © Mary Kay Rubey

FEATURES
Citrine forktails are small damselflies, appearing mostly yellow as the name “citrine” suggests. Males have yellow front eyes and green behind with a black cap. The thorax has a narrow green between wider black stripes. The abdomen is green at the base, mostly yellow on the low sides, and a black spearhead patterning on top. Females have dull green eyes below with brown on top, marked with a black band. The female thorax is black at the front with grey sides and white below. The female abdomen is black on top, fading to dusty white with dark grey bands.

BEHAVIOR
Males and females can be found in great numbers in ideal habitats. Mating is rarely observed, likely due to females mating only once. Mating occurs throughout the day. Females lay eggs in upright floating stems, leaves, and vegetation such as lilies or sphagnum moss.  They are common in sphagnum bogs. They like ponds (sometimes temporary) and lakes with lots of vegetation along the margins.  They are found throughout Illinois. They range east to the Atlantic Coast, south to Florida, west to California, and south to South America.

​Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Family: Coenagrionidae