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Project Noah Nature School
Calopteryx maculata
The ebony jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata) is a species of broad-winged damselfly. It is between 39–57 mm (1.5–2.2 in). The male (like this spotting) has a metallic blue-green body and black wings. The female is duller brown with smoky wings that have white spots near the tips. The naiad is pale brown with darker markings.
It lives near wooded streams and rivers, but it can move far from water. This one was observed perch on vegetation over a small stream at the constructed wetlands at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park near Augusta (Richmond County), GA
Ebony jewelwings mate in the summer. The male holds the female behind her head with his tail or abdomen. The female lays eggs in the soft stems of aquatic plants. The naiad eats small aquatic insects. When the naiad is fully grown, it crawls out of the water and molts.
Spotted on May 25, 2014
Submitted on Jan 11, 2015
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