DRAGONFLIES of Boundary Bay
This list is mostly based on Rex Kenner's information of the dragonflies
of the Lower Mainland (see sources).
Additions and changes most welcome
Nomenclature: CS
Family /Species Common Name Location/time Source
Lestidae
Lestes congener Hagen Spotted Spreadwing ? common in late July-early Nov. RK
Lestes disjunctus Selys Common Spreadwing Burns Bog Late June- Late Sept RK
Lestes dryas Kirby Emerald Spreadwing ? RK
Lestes unguiculatus Hagen Lyre-tipped Spreadwing Campbell Valley Park uncommon, not Whatcom Co. RK
Coenagriidae Pond damsels, Damselflies
Amphiagrion abbreviatum (Selys) Western Red Damsel Alaksen mid May- early August KW, RK
Enallagma boreale Selys Boreal Bluet Burns Bog, Campbell Valley Pk early May - early October,
common widespread
RK
Enallagma carunculatum Morse Tule Bluet Alaksen KW
Enallagma cyathigerum (Charpentier) Northern Bluet common in LM RK
Reifel August ATM
Ischnura cervula Selys Pacific Forktail widespread very common RK
Alaksen, Reifel KW, ATM
Ischnura erratica Calvert Swift Forktail Campbell Valley Park early May -late June RK
Ischnura perparva Selys Western Forktail widespread mid May-early Sept RK
Reifel August ATM
Aeshnidae Darners
Aeshna californica Calvert California Darner Tsawwassen May 17 2002 ATM
widespread early May RK
Alaksen KW
Aeshna canadensis Walker Canada Darner Burns Bog RK
Alaksen KW
Aeshna eremita Scudder Lake Darner ? RK
Aeshna interrupta Walker Variable Darner ? RK
Aeshna multicolor Hagen Blue-eyed Darner widespread midJune-mid Sept RK
Burns Bog RK 1
Aeshna palmata Hagen Paddle-tailed Darner very common RK
Aeshna sitchensis Zigzag Darner Burns Bog rare SC, RK
Aeshna subarctica Subarctic Darner Burns Bog uncommon SC RK
Aeshna umbrosa Walker Shadow Darner Burns Bog very common widespread RK
Anax junius Drury Common Green Darner widespread v.common early May - late September RK
Burns Bog RK 1
Cordulegastridae Spiketails
Cordulegaster dorsalis Hagen Pacific Spiketail ? found on streams large size, light spots on dark body
RK
Corduliidae
Cordula shurtleffi Scudder American Emerald ?forest lakes, sphagnum bogs emerges May RK
Epitheca canis MacLachlan Beaverpond Baskettail ?? quite scarce, found in Whatcom Co. RK
Libellulidae
Leucorrhinia glacialis Crimson-ringed Whiteface Burns Bog only location in area RK
Leucorrhinia hudsonica (Selys) Hudsonian Whiteface Burns Bog very common in sphagnum RK
Leucorrhinia intacta (Hagen) Dot-tailed Whiteface Burns Bog widespread, common RK
Libellula forensis Hagen Eight-spotted Skimmer Burns Bog v.common urban parks RK 1
Libellula julia Uhler Chalk-fronted Corporal Burns Bog common, acid waters RK
Libellula lydia Drury Common Whitetail Burns Bog common species
conspicuous standing water RK 1
Libellula quadrimaculata Linnaeus Four-spotted Skimmer widespread v.common may swarm in early May
Tsawwassen ATM
Alaksen KW
Burns Bog RK 1
Pachydiplax longipennis Blue Dasher ? spreading, first record LM 1993, ponds with water lilies RK
Sympetrum corruptum (Hagen) Variegated Meadowhawk Serpentine Fen widespread migratory species
(1 of 2) early June-late Sept RK
Sympetrum costiferum (Hagen) Saffron-winged Meadowhawk Burns Bog widespread. Late flyer RK
Sympetrum illotum (Hagen) Cardinal Meadowhawk widespread in LM v. common, late May -early Aug.
confined to LM/Puget Sound/Gulf Islands (CS) RK
Burns Bog RK 1
Sympetrum internum (Montgomery) Cherry-faced Meadowhawk Burns Bog widespread RK
Sympetrum madidum (Hagen) Red-veined Meadowhawk Langley Nature Park one in October AM
Sympetrum obtrusum (Hagen) White-faced Meadowhawk Burns Bog most common meadowhawk in south
RK
Sympetrum pallipes (Hagen) Striped Meadowhawk Burns Bog RK
Sympetrum vicinum (Hagen) Yellow-legged Meadowhawk Burns Bog confined to LM/Puget Sound/Gulf
Islands (CS) RK
Historic records:
300 million year old fossils exist: evolved without much change CS
Sources:
RK Rex D. Kenner, Annotated Checklist of Dragonflies in the Lower Mainland, Discovery Vol. 29 No. 2 Winter 2000
RK 1. Rex D. Kenner Burns Bog Ecosystem Review - Invertebrate Report
CS Robert A. Cannings and Kathleen M.Stuart, Dragonflies of B.C. B.C. Provincial Museum Handbook, No. 35 1977
KW Ken White The Insects of the Alaksen National Wildlife Area Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service,
September 1984
Robert A. Cannings, 2002 Introducing the Dragonflies of British Columbia and the Yukon, Royal B.C. Museum,
Victoria.
This list is mostly based on Rex Kenner's information of the dragonflies
of the Lower Mainland (see sources).
Additions and changes most welcome
Nomenclature: CS
Family /Species Common Name Location/time Source
Lestidae
Lestes congener Hagen Spotted Spreadwing ? common in late July-early Nov. RK
Lestes disjunctus Selys Common Spreadwing Burns Bog Late June- Late Sept RK
Lestes dryas Kirby Emerald Spreadwing ? RK
Lestes unguiculatus Hagen Lyre-tipped Spreadwing Campbell Valley Park uncommon, not Whatcom Co. RK
Coenagriidae Pond damsels, Damselflies
Amphiagrion abbreviatum (Selys) Western Red Damsel Alaksen mid May- early August KW, RK
Enallagma boreale Selys Boreal Bluet Burns Bog, Campbell Valley Pk early May - early October,
common widespread
RK
Enallagma carunculatum Morse Tule Bluet Alaksen KW
Enallagma cyathigerum (Charpentier) Northern Bluet common in LM RK
Reifel August ATM
Ischnura cervula Selys Pacific Forktail widespread very common RK
Alaksen, Reifel KW, ATM
Ischnura erratica Calvert Swift Forktail Campbell Valley Park early May -late June RK
Ischnura perparva Selys Western Forktail widespread mid May-early Sept RK
Reifel August ATM
Aeshnidae Darners
Aeshna californica Calvert California Darner Tsawwassen May 17 2002 ATM
widespread early May RK
Alaksen KW
Aeshna canadensis Walker Canada Darner Burns Bog RK
Alaksen KW
Aeshna eremita Scudder Lake Darner ? RK
Aeshna interrupta Walker Variable Darner ? RK
Aeshna multicolor Hagen Blue-eyed Darner widespread midJune-mid Sept RK
Burns Bog RK 1
Aeshna palmata Hagen Paddle-tailed Darner very common RK
Aeshna sitchensis Zigzag Darner Burns Bog rare SC, RK
Aeshna subarctica Subarctic Darner Burns Bog uncommon SC RK
Aeshna umbrosa Walker Shadow Darner Burns Bog very common widespread RK
Anax junius Drury Common Green Darner widespread v.common early May - late September RK
Burns Bog RK 1
Cordulegastridae Spiketails
Cordulegaster dorsalis Hagen Pacific Spiketail ? found on streams large size, light spots on dark body
RK
Corduliidae
Cordula shurtleffi Scudder American Emerald ?forest lakes, sphagnum bogs emerges May RK
Epitheca canis MacLachlan Beaverpond Baskettail ?? quite scarce, found in Whatcom Co. RK
Libellulidae
Leucorrhinia glacialis Crimson-ringed Whiteface Burns Bog only location in area RK
Leucorrhinia hudsonica (Selys) Hudsonian Whiteface Burns Bog very common in sphagnum RK
Leucorrhinia intacta (Hagen) Dot-tailed Whiteface Burns Bog widespread, common RK
Libellula forensis Hagen Eight-spotted Skimmer Burns Bog v.common urban parks RK 1
Libellula julia Uhler Chalk-fronted Corporal Burns Bog common, acid waters RK
Libellula lydia Drury Common Whitetail Burns Bog common species
conspicuous standing water RK 1
Libellula quadrimaculata Linnaeus Four-spotted Skimmer widespread v.common may swarm in early May
Tsawwassen ATM
Alaksen KW
Burns Bog RK 1
Pachydiplax longipennis Blue Dasher ? spreading, first record LM 1993, ponds with water lilies RK
Sympetrum corruptum (Hagen) Variegated Meadowhawk Serpentine Fen widespread migratory species
(1 of 2) early June-late Sept RK
Sympetrum costiferum (Hagen) Saffron-winged Meadowhawk Burns Bog widespread. Late flyer RK
Sympetrum illotum (Hagen) Cardinal Meadowhawk widespread in LM v. common, late May -early Aug.
confined to LM/Puget Sound/Gulf Islands (CS) RK
Burns Bog RK 1
Sympetrum internum (Montgomery) Cherry-faced Meadowhawk Burns Bog widespread RK
Sympetrum madidum (Hagen) Red-veined Meadowhawk Langley Nature Park one in October AM
Sympetrum obtrusum (Hagen) White-faced Meadowhawk Burns Bog most common meadowhawk in south
RK
Sympetrum pallipes (Hagen) Striped Meadowhawk Burns Bog RK
Sympetrum vicinum (Hagen) Yellow-legged Meadowhawk Burns Bog confined to LM/Puget Sound/Gulf
Islands (CS) RK
Historic records:
300 million year old fossils exist: evolved without much change CS
Sources:
RK Rex D. Kenner, Annotated Checklist of Dragonflies in the Lower Mainland, Discovery Vol. 29 No. 2 Winter 2000
RK 1. Rex D. Kenner Burns Bog Ecosystem Review - Invertebrate Report
CS Robert A. Cannings and Kathleen M.Stuart, Dragonflies of B.C. B.C. Provincial Museum Handbook, No. 35 1977
KW Ken White The Insects of the Alaksen National Wildlife Area Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service,
September 1984
Robert A. Cannings, 2002 Introducing the Dragonflies of British Columbia and the Yukon, Royal B.C. Museum,
Victoria.
| Annex Site for A Nature Guide to Boundary Bay by Anne Murray with photographs by David Blevins |
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