Damselfly Parachute Red
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Damselfly Parachute Blue
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Fly of the Month
Our third article for 2015 is in two parts, Damsel Fly Part One will cover the adult stage and Part Two will cover the nymph stage. Most anglers consider damsel flies as warm, still water insects. This is somewhat true but some species are found in cold, still waters and many are found in our marginal temperature Delayed Harvest still waters in North Carolina. Thus, adult damsel fly patterns should be considered for your DH arsenal for the stillwater pools. The hatch process for damselflies begins at 60 degrees, so imitating an adult is definitely during the seasonally warm days.
Damsel Fly – Part One – Adults
Damselflies are insects 1-2 inches in size in the order Odonata which consists of Anisoptera, the dragonflies and Zygoptera, the damselflies. Damselflies are readily recognizable by their tiny cylindrical extended-body. The following are North Carolina species:
Amphiagrion saucium (Eastern Red Damsel) is blackish with red abdomen.
Argia (Dancers) males are more brightly colored than females. Local species include: A. apicalis (Blue-fronted Dancer); A. bipunctulata (Seepage Dancer); A. fumipennis (Variable Dancer) Wings smoky-brown, brightly colored; A. moesta (Powdered Dancer); A. sedula (Blue-ringed Dancer); A. tibialis (Blue-tipped Dancer); A. translata (Dusky Dancer)
Calopterygidae (Jewelwing family) are Broad-Winged Damselflies with wings blackish or with blackish markings. Local species include: Calopteryx amata (Superb Jewelwing);C. angustipennis (Appalachian Jewelwing); C. dimidiata (Sparkling Jewelwing); and, C. maculata (Ebony Jewelwing or Black-Winged Damselfly) which are 56-60 mm in size.
Chromagrion conditum (Aurora Damsel)
Enallagma (Bluets) are light blue with dark markings. Local species include: E. aspersum (Azure Bluet);
E. basidens (Double-striped Bluet); E. civile (Familiar Bluet or Bluet Damselfly) which are 34-40 mm in size; E. concisum (Cherry Bluet); E. daeckii (Attenuated Bluet); E. davisi (Sandhill Bluet);
E. divagans (Turquoise Bluet); E. doubledayi (Atlantic Bluet); E. dubium (Burgundy Bluet);
E. durum (Big Bluet); E. exsulans (Stream Bluet); E. geminatum (Skimming Bluet); E. hageni (Hagen's Bluet); E. minusculum (Little Bluet); E. pallidum (Pale Bluet); E. signatum (Orange Bluet); E. sulcatum (Golden Bluet); E. traviatum (Slender Bluet); E. vesperum (Vesper Bluet); and, E. weewa (Blackwater Bluet).
Hetaerina (Rubyspot) have wings clear with reddish spot at base. Local species include: H. americana (American Rubyspot) which are 56-60 mm in size; and, H. titia (Smoky Rubyspot).
Lestidae (Spread-Winged family) Damselflies are 1 1/4 - 2 " in size with wings clear wings and are common around swamps and ponds. Local species include: Lestes australis (Southern Spreadwing); L. congener (Spotted Spreadwing); L. eurinus (Amber-winged Spreadwing); L. forcipatus (Sweetflag Spreadwing); L. inaequalis (Elegant Spreadwing); L. rectangularis (Slender Spreadwing); L. vidua (Carolina Spreadwing); and, L. vigilax (Swamp Spreadwing).
Damselflies reproduce using indirect insemination and delayed fertilization. A mating pair forms a shape known as a “heart” or “wheel”, the male clasping the female at the back of the head, the female curling her abdomen down to pickup sperm from secondary genitalia at the base of the male’s abdomen. The pair often remains together with the male clasping the female while laying eggs within the tissue of plants in or near water. This behavior lends itself to the potential of tying a mating pair damsel fly pattern.
The most obvious fly pattern color is blue, followed by black, red, tan and green. Care should be taken to use fly patterns with the wings tied delta-style or even folded back. Fly patterns with th wings spread in the flying position may appear to be more realistic but the fly pattern will highly wind resistant and tend to spin your tippet into a tangle in only a few casts. Besides, for a damsel to actually end up on the water for a trout or smallmouth, the wind would need to knock the damsel down, thus the wings would likely be folded back.
Next time you are angling a nice still pool, remember a damselfly is readily seen and the color is readily identified. Rather than ignore the insect, imitate it!
Flies of the Month 5.15
(Blue, Black, Red, Tan or Green) Damsel
- Tom Adams, Alen Baker
Our third article for 2015 is in two parts, Damsel Fly Part One will cover the adult stage and Part Two will cover the nymph stage. Most anglers consider damsel flies as warm, still water insects. This is somewhat true but some species are found in cold, still waters and many are found in our marginal temperature Delayed Harvest still waters in North Carolina. Thus, adult damsel fly patterns should be considered for your DH arsenal for the stillwater pools. The hatch process for damselflies begins at 60 degrees, so imitating an adult is definitely during the seasonally warm days.
Damsel Fly – Part One – Adults
Damselflies are insects 1-2 inches in size in the order Odonata which consists of Anisoptera, the dragonflies and Zygoptera, the damselflies. Damselflies are readily recognizable by their tiny cylindrical extended-body. The following are North Carolina species:
Amphiagrion saucium (Eastern Red Damsel) is blackish with red abdomen.
Argia (Dancers) males are more brightly colored than females. Local species include: A. apicalis (Blue-fronted Dancer); A. bipunctulata (Seepage Dancer); A. fumipennis (Variable Dancer) Wings smoky-brown, brightly colored; A. moesta (Powdered Dancer); A. sedula (Blue-ringed Dancer); A. tibialis (Blue-tipped Dancer); A. translata (Dusky Dancer)
Calopterygidae (Jewelwing family) are Broad-Winged Damselflies with wings blackish or with blackish markings. Local species include: Calopteryx amata (Superb Jewelwing);C. angustipennis (Appalachian Jewelwing); C. dimidiata (Sparkling Jewelwing); and, C. maculata (Ebony Jewelwing or Black-Winged Damselfly) which are 56-60 mm in size.
Chromagrion conditum (Aurora Damsel)
Enallagma (Bluets) are light blue with dark markings. Local species include: E. aspersum (Azure Bluet);
E. basidens (Double-striped Bluet); E. civile (Familiar Bluet or Bluet Damselfly) which are 34-40 mm in size; E. concisum (Cherry Bluet); E. daeckii (Attenuated Bluet); E. davisi (Sandhill Bluet);
E. divagans (Turquoise Bluet); E. doubledayi (Atlantic Bluet); E. dubium (Burgundy Bluet);
E. durum (Big Bluet); E. exsulans (Stream Bluet); E. geminatum (Skimming Bluet); E. hageni (Hagen's Bluet); E. minusculum (Little Bluet); E. pallidum (Pale Bluet); E. signatum (Orange Bluet); E. sulcatum (Golden Bluet); E. traviatum (Slender Bluet); E. vesperum (Vesper Bluet); and, E. weewa (Blackwater Bluet).
Hetaerina (Rubyspot) have wings clear with reddish spot at base. Local species include: H. americana (American Rubyspot) which are 56-60 mm in size; and, H. titia (Smoky Rubyspot).
Lestidae (Spread-Winged family) Damselflies are 1 1/4 - 2 " in size with wings clear wings and are common around swamps and ponds. Local species include: Lestes australis (Southern Spreadwing); L. congener (Spotted Spreadwing); L. eurinus (Amber-winged Spreadwing); L. forcipatus (Sweetflag Spreadwing); L. inaequalis (Elegant Spreadwing); L. rectangularis (Slender Spreadwing); L. vidua (Carolina Spreadwing); and, L. vigilax (Swamp Spreadwing).
Damselflies reproduce using indirect insemination and delayed fertilization. A mating pair forms a shape known as a “heart” or “wheel”, the male clasping the female at the back of the head, the female curling her abdomen down to pickup sperm from secondary genitalia at the base of the male’s abdomen. The pair often remains together with the male clasping the female while laying eggs within the tissue of plants in or near water. This behavior lends itself to the potential of tying a mating pair damsel fly pattern.
The most obvious fly pattern color is blue, followed by black, red, tan and green. Care should be taken to use fly patterns with the wings tied delta-style or even folded back. Fly patterns with th wings spread in the flying position may appear to be more realistic but the fly pattern will highly wind resistant and tend to spin your tippet into a tangle in only a few casts. Besides, for a damsel to actually end up on the water for a trout or smallmouth, the wind would need to knock the damsel down, thus the wings would likely be folded back.
Next time you are angling a nice still pool, remember a damselfly is readily seen and the color is readily identified. Rather than ignore the insect, imitate it!
Flies of the Month 5.15
(Blue, Black, Red, Tan or Green) Damsel
- Tom Adams, Alen Baker