Pacific Forktail

Ischnura cervula

The Pacific Forktail is a small, colorful dragonfly that loves to flutter around ponds and streams. With its bright blue and green colors, it looks like a tiny jewel in the air!

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Pacific Forktail is a slender damselfly, with males sporting a vibrant sky-blue body marked with black patterns, particularly on their tail. Females are typically greenish-yellow or brown. They can be distinguished from dragonflies by their much thinner bodies and by holding their four wings neatly together over their back when at rest.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassInsectaOrderOdonataFamilyCoenagrionidaeGenusIschnura

Pacific Forktail

Interesting facts

Males display a bright blue 'tail fork' used for identifying mates, making them easy to spot!

Pacific Forktail nymphs spend up to two years growing underwater before transforming into adults!

These tiny hunters have massive eyes that give them almost 360-degree vision to spot prey!

When mating, a male and female Pacific Forktail form a beautiful heart shape with their bodies!

Special abilities

Pacific Forktail nymphs can breathe underwater because of specialized gills on their tails, which helps them survive and hunt in aquatic environments.

Pacific Forktail can dart and hover with four independently controlled wings, helping them expertly catch tiny flying insects mid-air.

Pacific Forktail females have a special blade-like organ that helps them insert eggs safely into underwater plant stems.

Measurements & details

Wingspan: 30-45 mm
Size: 25-35 mm
Lifespan: 365-730 days
Flight Speed: 15 km/h
Leg Count: 6

Diet & Feeding

These tiny hunters catch and eat other small insects in the air, keeping mosquito populations in check!

Age differences: Nymphs hunt small aquatic invertebrates, while adults catch flying insects.

Primary Foods

mosquitoes
gnats
midges
small flies
aquatic invertebrates

Foraging Method

Pursuit

Ecological connections

eaten by

Rainbow Trout

Oncorhynchus mykiss

Trout eagerly consume damselfly nymphs and adults when hunting in water.

hunts

Common House Mosquito

Culex pipiens

Adult Pacific Forktails are skilled hunters of flying mosquitoes near water.

eaten by

Northern Leopard Frog

Lithobates pipiens

Frogs frequently prey on damselflies found resting or flying near the water's edge.

Traits

Solitary

Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.

Aerial

Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting.

Colorful

Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.

Insectivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.