Males guard but are not in contact with their ladies during egg laying. Black-winged damselflies) and American Rubyspots lay their eggs in the stems of submerged plants or in decaying wood in waters with a moderate current. They are eaten by a host of bugs, bats and birds, as well as by some fish, frogs and turtles.Įbony Jewelwings (a.k.a. Like all Odonates, they are carnivores, both in their aquatic nurseries and as airborne adults, eating whatever small, soft-bodied invertebrates they can catch (and the young-naiads-love the equally aquatic mosquito larvae). They are perchers-sitting on plants or rocks and sallying forth to hunt or to defend their territories. Rubyspots seldom gain more than a foot or two in altitude, but the BugLady has seen jewelwings six feet off the ground. Other Odonates may hunt far from streams and ponds, but the Broad-winged damselflies tend to be homebodies. Like dragonflies and other damselflies, Rubyspots and Jewelwings are tied to the water-in this case, running water. They come in metallic colors, with the males showier than the females, which sport a white spot ( stigma) toward the tips of their wings. There are eight species of Broad-winged damselflies in the U.S., and four of those are listed for Wisconsin at the Odonata Survey site-the River and Ebony Jewelwings, and the American and Smoky Rubyspots (the Smoky Rubyspot is recorded from only one county in the extreme southern part of the state).īroad-winged damselflies get their name from the base of their wings, which taper gradually instead of looking “stalked.” When they sit, they hold their wings together vertically over the top of their abdomen. Once again, the BugLady would like to recommend Damselflies of the North Woods by Bob DuBois, the Beginner’s Guide to Dragonflies, by Nikula, Sones, Stokes and Stokes, and the on-line Wisconsin Odonata Survey. The stars of today’s show are big (close to 2”), beautiful, unmistakable members of the third damselfly family, the Broad-winged damselflies (family Calopterygidae). Sharp-eyed BugFans probably noticed that identification of the species in these two families is not exactly a slam-dunk. Once they are established and growing heartily, the water above the top of the pot can be as deep as 1/2" to 3", depending on the variety and size of the plant.įor specific planting depths and type of container to use read the plant information at the bottom of the item description for the plant you are planting.Recent episodes of BOTW have featured two families of the ethereal damselflies that grace our wetlands-the Spreadwings (family Lestidae) and the Pond damsels-forktails, sprites, dancers and bluets (family Coenagrionidae). After planting place the plants in a shady area for them to adjust to the sun, wind and outdoor environment, as most of the plants are coming out of a greenhouse and need a couple of days to adjust to being outside. Lightly pack the soil down so it will be firm enough to hold the bog plant upright. While holding the plant upright in the hole, carefully fill in the hole with soil around the roots. Then make a hole in the center large enough for the roots to fit in without burying the crown of the plant. Fill your planting container about 3/4 of the way to the top with a clay soil. If the roots of the plant are growing out of the net pots, using a pair of scissors, carefully cut the net pot away and gently remove the plant, saving as many of the roots as possible. Care should be taken when removing the plants from these pots. Plant bog plants as you would tropical lilies, again, making sure not to cover the crown of the plant.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |