The Ebony Jewelwing, Calopteryx maculata, is one of the most common damselflies in Indiana. They are especially numerous in this rainy year. The adults have a beautiful iridescent body offset by black wings. The wings of the males are plain black. The females have a distinctive white spot on the tip of the wing (Protostigma). The adults are predators feeding on mosquitoes and other small flies.
The males are territorial and will challenge other males for the best territories for mating. Most often, the largest males with the most fat reserves will win the territory.
The larval stages of damselflies are aquatic. The eggs of the damselfies are laid inside the stems of aquatic plants where they are protected from predators. The larvae hatch and settle on the bottom of streams. They spend their lives underwater feeding on mosquitoes and other small organisms.
Ebony Jewelwing
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