Leptobasis lucifer

Leptobasis lucifer
	A male L. lucifer in Loxahatchee NWR, Palm Beach County, FL.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Odonata
Family:	Coenagrionidae
Genus:	Leptobasis
Species:	L. lucifer
Binomial name
	Leptobasis lucifer; (Donnelly, 1967)

Leptobasis lucifer, commonly referred to as lucifer swampdamsel, is a relatively long and slender species of narrow-winged damselfly in the genus Leptobasis found in Central America, southern parts of Mexico, as well as locally in Southern Florida.[1] L. lucifer prefers swampy woodland habitats, such as cypress swamps, and tend to hunt near trees, scanning and hovering around leaves in search for prey.[1] The body shape of this species is distinctive from other damselfly species in its range. Males have black striping on a green thorax and a bright red patch near the end of the tail, whereas females are more of a dull green color on the thorax, with the abdomen ranging in color from a dark, dull yellowish to a dull reddish color.[1] Adult females of this species have an unusually large ovipositor and immatures of both sexes have pale blue in replacement for any green or greenish patches that would be visible in the adult stage.[1]

Female L. lucifer in Loxahatchee NWR, Palm Beach County, FL

References

Paulson, Dennis, 1937- (2011). Dragonflies and damselflies of the East. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-1-4008-3966-7. OCLC 758374336.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

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[:0-1] Paulson, Dennis, 1937- (2011). Dragonflies and damselflies of the East. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-1-4008-3966-7. OCLC 758374336.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)