Rambur’s forktail, Ischnura ramburii

I was out at the Niulii ponds (Lualualei Valley) again a few weeks ago, and I had the opportunity to look around and take some photographs.  In the small area that I was in, there were a number of interesting insects, but what caught my eye most were some damselflies fluttering around near an area with a lot of seepage.  The blue spot at the tip of the abdomen on the males was a quick giveaway that they were Ischnura ramburii (Odonata: Coenagrionidae).  I was excited to get some images of the them, because they didn’t seem to mind me being there so I had ample opportunity to get some good shots.  Unfortunately, I was reminded of how crappy I am at photography because, for whatever reason, I just couldn’t get any good shots.  They all came out a little grainy and not quite totally in focus.  Anyway, here are the best shots I managed to get of the male and female:

And here is some interesting info from Dan Polhemus and Adam Asquith’s book “Hawaiian Damselflies: A Field Identification Guide” (Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, 1996). 

“Distribution: Originally distributed from Maine to Chile.  Introduced to the Hawaiian Islands around 1973, and now known from Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and Hawaii.  Commonly found along the margins of coastal wetlands, and around ponds at elevations up to 500 ft, but not generally a mountain species.”

“On the North American mainland two distinct female color forms are present, the orange form and a bright green form similar to the male.  The latter color form was previously recorded from Hawaii (Hilton 1989), but has not been seen during the last decade, and may have died out in the islands.”