Odonate Exuviae

This permanent page in my blog features photo-illustrated identification guides to many species of odonate exuviae from seven families of dragonflies and three families of damselflies in North America (restricted to Canada and the United States of America).

Dragonflies (Suborder Anisoptera)

Family Aeshnidae (Darners)

• Comet Darner (Anax longipes)
• [Common Green Darner] Aeshnidae exuvia
• [Common Green Darner (CGD)] Anax junius exuvia
• [CGD] Puzzle solved: Anax junius exuvia (female)
• [Fawn Darner] Boyeria vinosa exuvia
• [Shadow Darner] Test shots: Aeshna umbrosa exuvia
• [Hairy Dragonfly] Test shots: Brachyton pratense exuvia (female)

Family Cordulegastridae (Spiketails)

• Cordulegaster sp. larva/nymph (preserved specimen)
• [Tiger Spiketail] Cordulegastridae exuvia
• [Tiger Spiketail] Cordulegaster erronea exuvia

Family Corduliidae (Emeralds)

• [Common Baskettail] Epitheca cynosura exuvia
• [Prince Baskettail] Epitheca princeps exuvia
• [another Prince Baskettail] Epitheca princeps exuvia
• [Stygian Shadowdragon] Neurocordulia yamaskanensis exuvia
• [Uhler’s Sundragon] Helocordulia uhleri exuvia
• [Downy Emerald (Cordulia aenea)] Test shots: Unknown odonate exuvia

Family Gomphidae (Clubtails)

• Gomphidae exuvia
• [Appalachian Snaketail] Ophiogomphus incurvatus exuvia
• [Appalachian Snaketail] Ophiogomphus incurvatus head shots
• [Appalachian Snaketail] More composite images
• [Arrow Clubtail] Stylurus spiniceps exuvia
• [Ashy Clubtail] Phanogomphus lividus exuvia
• [Black-shouldered Spinyleg] Dromogomphus spinosus exuvia
• [Brook Snaketail] Ophiogomphus aspersus exuvia
• [Cobra Clubtail] Gomphurus vastus exuvia
• Cobra Clubtail versus Midland Clubtail
• Progomphus obscurus: Common Sanddragon dragonfly (emergent male)
• [Common Sanddragon] Progomphus obscurus: When things go wrong
• [Common Sanddragon] Composite image: Progomphus obscurus exuvia
• [Common Sanddragon] More composite images: P. obscurus exuvia
• Dragonhunter dragonfly exuvia [Hagenius brevistylus]
• [Dragonhunter] MYN – Hagenius brevistylus exuvia (dorsal)
• [Dragonhunter] MYN – Hagenius brevistylus exuvia (ventral)
• [Eastern Least Clubtail] Test shots: Stylogomphus albistylus exuvia
• [Eastern Least Clubtail] More test shots: Stylogomphus albistylus exuvia
• [Eastern Least Clubtail] Focus-stacking with CamRanger
• [Eastern Ringtail] Erpetogomphus designatus exuvia
• [possible Laura’s Clubtail] Test shots: Stylurus sp. exuvia
• [Russet-tipped Clubtail] Stylurus plagiatus exuvia
• [Russet-tipped Clubtail] Test shots: Stylurus plagiatus exuvia
• [Sable Clubtail] Stenogomphurus rogersi: Miraculous metamorphosis
• [Sable Clubtail] Stenogomphurus rogersi exuvia
• [Zebra Clubtail] Stylurus scudderi exuvia

Family Libellulidae (Skimmers)

• Identifying dragonfly larvae to family
• [Banded Pennant] Genus Celithemis exuvia (face)
• [Banded Pennant] Genus Celithemis exuvia (dorsal)
• [Banded Pennant] Flip-it Friday [ventral]
• [Blue Corporal] Test shot: Ladona deplanata exuvia
• [Blue Dasher] Test shots: Pachydiplax longipennis exuvia
• Calico Pennant exuvia composite image [Celithemis elisa]
• More Calico Pennant exuvia composite images [Celithemis elisa]
• [Carolina Saddlebags] Tramea carolina exuvia [2016]
• [Carolina Saddlebags] Tramea carolina exuvia [2019]
• [Carolina Saddlebags] MYN – Tramea carolina exuvia (face-head-dorsal)
• [Carolina Saddlebags] MYN – Tramea carolina exuvia (dorsal)
• [Carolina Saddlebags] MYN – Tramea carolina exuvia (ventral)
• [Common Whitetail] Plathemis lydia: Miraculous metamorphosis
• [Eastern Amberwing] Perithemis tenera exuvia
• [Eastern Pondhawk] Test shots: Erythemis simplicollis exuvia
• [Slaty Skimmer (Libellula incesta)] Previews of coming attractions
• [Spot-winged Glider] MYN – Pantala hymenaea exuvia
• [Spot-winged Glider] MYN – More Pantala hymenaea exuvia
• [Wandering Glider] Test shots: Pantala flavescens exuvia
• [Widow Skimmer] Test shots: Libellula luctuosa exuvia

Family Macromiidae (Cruisers)

• Macromiidae exuvia
• [Allegheny River Cruiser] Macromia alleghaniensis exuvia
• [Stream Cruiser] Exuvia from Family Macromiidae (Cruisers)
• [Swift River Cruiser] Macromia illinoiensis exuvia
• Swift River Cruiser exuvia (Macromia illinoiensis)

Family Petaluridae (Petaltails)

• [Gray Petaltail] Tachopteryx thoreyi exuvia
• [Gray Petaltail] Test shots: Tachopteryx thoreyi exuviae

Damselflies (Suborder Zygoptera)

Family Calopterygidae (Broad-winged Damselflies)

• American Rubyspot damselfly exuvia
• [American Rubyspot] Hetaerina americana exuvia
• Ebony Jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata)

Family Coenagrionidae (Narrow-winged Damselflies)

(under construction)

Family Lestidae (Spreadwings)

[Great Spreadwing] Archilestes grandis exuvia (female)

Related Resources

• How to Identify Damselfly Exuviae to Family, by Walter Sanford
• Vimeo video: Identifying dragonfly larva to family (8:06) Copy and paste the following URL in a Web browser: https://vimeo.com/76713446
• A Beginners’ Guide to Identifying the Exuviae of Wisconsin Odonata to Family, by Freda van den Broek and Walter Sanford. Although the guide is focused primarily on odonate exuviae found in Wisconsin, it should be useful for any location in the United States of America.
• Identification Keys to Northeastern Anisoptera Larvae, compiled by Ken Soltesz
• Odonata Nymphs of Michigan / Odonata (Dragon- and Damselflies) of Michigan – Identification: Keys for, and notes on, the dragon- and damselfly nymphs found in the State of Michigan
• A KEY TO THE GENERA OF ANISOPTEROUS DRAGONFLY NYMPHS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA (ODONATA, SUBORDER ANISOPTERA), MIKE WRIGHT AND ALVAH PETERSON, Department of Zoology and Entomology, The Ohio State University, by Ethan Bright and Mark F. O’Brien, UMMZ-Insect Division
• Anatomy of a Dragonfly Larva, annotated illustration courtesy Jay Smith
• Sexing odonate exuviae (Anisoptera), by Walter Sanford
• Sexing odonate exuviae (Zygoptera), by Walter Sanford
• Anatomy & Functional Morphology of Dragonfly Nymphs, Dragonfly Society of the Americas (48:58). Virtual Lecture by Marla Garrison, McHenry County College, Biology Faculty on 24 September 2021.
• Collecting and Preserving Odonata (Dragonflies and Damselflies) [broken link] Editor’s Note: An archived version of this Web page is available from the “Wayback Machine.”
• Guidelines for Sampling Odonata, from Robert DuBois [broken link] Editor’s Note: An archived version of this Web page is available from the “Wayback Machine.”
• Odonates, by Steve Krotzer, Haysop Hill Photography [including photographs of nymphs for many species]

Single-topic Blog Posts

• Collecting odonate exuviae
• Anal pyramid
• Relative length of cerci versus paraprocts
• Ventromedial groove / Post update: What is it — emerald or skimmer?
• Burrowing hooks
• Macromiidae – It’s all about the “horn.”
• Beware of look-alikes!
• More look-alikes: Pantala versus Tramea exuviae/larvae
• Mouth parts – Tiger Spiketail exuvia
• “How to estimate instar”: Web version; interactive PDF version, Apple macOS and “Safari” (119 KB); non-interactive PDF version, Apple iOS and “Safari” (533 KB).
• “How to estimate instar, revisited”: Web version; interactive PDF version, Apple macOS and “Safari” (474 KB); non-interactive PDF version, Apple iOS and “Safari” (2.5 MB).
• “How to estimate instar using Photopea”: Web version; interactive PDF version, Apple macOS and “Safari” (154 KB); non-interactive PDF version, Apple iOS and “Safari” (308 KB).
• “Determining final instar the Cham way”: Web version; interactive PDF version, Apple macOS and “Safari” (195 KB); non-interactive PDF version, Apple iOS and “Safari” (1.3 MB).