Broad-winged Damselfly

It has a metallic green color.

Scientific name	Mnais pruinosa
English name	Broad-winged Damselfly
Japanese name	朝比奈川蜻蛉
Class	Insecta
Order	Odonata
Family	Calopterygidae
Genus	Mnais
Species	pruinosa
Full length	Approximately 50mm
Distribution	Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu

Broad-winged Damselfly Characteristics and Morphology

A glossy emerald green Calopteryx.
Some have orange wings, while others have colorless wings. Fine wing veins run parallel from the base to the tip of the wings. It is a closely related species to Calopteryx japonica and looks very similar, but Calopteryx asahinai is slightly smaller.

Male

As they mature, their body color becomes white and powdery.

Female

It has a bright green color.
It has white markings on the edge of its wings.

Broad-winged Damselfly Ecology

Habitat

They appear in mountain stream valleys from around April.

Food

They feed on small insects.

Life Cycle

They breed in summer. The larvae spend about 1-2 years in the water before becoming adults.

Broad-winged Damselfly Photos

Broad-winged Damselfly Photos are introduced.
Tap the photo to open the detail page.

This is a female with white markings on the edge of her wings.

As they mature, the males become white and powdery.

Broad-winged Damselfly Behavior

They fly around the waterside. Males hover to court females.

Broad-winged Damselfly Information

Naming

The specific name "pruinosa" means "frosted," and is derived from the fact that the male's body color becomes whitish.

Broad-winged Damselfly Found Locations

Kobotoke River, Hachiōji

I photographed Calopteryx asahinai flying along the Kobotoke River in Ura-Takao, Hachiōji. There were many dragonflies and butterflies along the quiet river, but this dragonfly was particularly beautiful. Many individuals had just emerged, and their body's green color had a metallic sheen.

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