American Rubyspot
Males of Hetaerina americana
Hetaerina americana is a species of dragonfly in the family Demoiselles ( Calopterygidae ), which is spread over large parts of North America.
Features
Male Hetaerina americana reach a body length of 40 to 46 mm, the females remain slightly less with 38 to 40 millimeters. The head and thorax are dark. The abdomen of the male is greenish bronze to dark brown, the colored females greenish. The wings are clear and transparent, and they are ruby red and brown in females with the males at the base.
Distribution and habitat
The distribution area of Hetaerina americana extends across much of the United States and Canada. They mainly live on the banks of rivers in wooded areas, sometimes along wetlands.
Way of life
The adult dragonflies feed on small, soft flying insects. The larvae hunt small underwater insects and their larvae. The females pierce their eggs singly in soft water plant stems by clinging to the stems just above the water surface. The males are thereby located mostly in the vicinity. The fully grown larvae climb stems from the water and molt out of the water to bubble.
System
Hetaerina americana represents one of about 40 currently known species of the genus Hetaerina