New Jersey is home to 183 species of Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonates) and due to its diversity of habitats and ecosystems and unique location, is home to a variety of mountain and Appalachian species in the north and coastal plain and pine barrens species in the South and everything in between.  From the smallest spites to the large Gray Petaltail, Odonates come in all shapes and sizes and occupy a broad range of habitats in NJ.  Some species are only found in seepage springs and small forest stream while others can be found on our largest lakes and rivers.  Some species, such as the Green Darner, undergo fall migrations to the south and others such as the Wandering Glider will roam hundreds to thousands of miles.  Some species will breed in a stream and fly miles away to forage in a field.  They often have very specific larval habitat requirements from sandy stream bottoms to debris piles on bends in small streams or even wet leaves and puddles in spring seeps. 

Odonate larvae are aquatic and predatory and always live in some kind of seep, stream, pond, or river.  Once they have grown to maturity, they crawl out of their watery home and an adult emerges to fly away and feed and forage and begin the cycle again.  Larval Odonates and adults both are voracious predators and feed readily on common human pests such as both mosquito larvae and adults and flies.  Larval Odonates have a variety of behaviors with some being active predators and moving around in aquatic vegetation while others act as ambush predators and  bury themselves in the stream substrate while waiting for prey. 

Endangered

Gray Petaltail

Threatened

Harpoon Clubtail 

Banner Clubtail 

Robust Baskettail 

Kennedy’s Emerald 

Superb Jewelwing 

Brook Snaketail

Special Concern

Allegheny River Cruiser (Macromia alleghaniensis) 

Arrowhead Spiketail (Cordulegaster obliqua) 

Brush-tipped Emerald (Somatochlora walshii) 

Cobra Clubtail (Gomphus vastus) 

Coppery Emerald (Somatochlora georgiana) 

Crimson-ringed Whiteface (Leucorrhinia glacialis) 

Extra-striped Snaketail (Ophiogomphus anomalus) 

Forcipate Emerald (Somatochlora forcipata) 

Golden-winged Skimmer (Libellula auripennis) 

Green-faced Clubtail (Gomphus viridifrons) 

Hudsonian Whiteface (Leucorrhinia hudsonica) 

Maine Snaketail (Ophiogomphus mainensis) 

Midland Clubtail (Gomphus fraternus) 

New England Bluet (Enallagma laterale) 

Pine Barrens Bluet (Enallagma recurvatum) 

Rapids Clubtail (Gomphus quadricolor) 

Sable Clubtail (Gomphus rogersi) 

Scarlet Bluet (Enallagma pictum) 

Septima’s Clubtail (Gomphus septima) 

Ski-tailed Emerald (Somatochlora elongata) 

Spatterdock Darner (Rhionaeschna mutata) 

Subarctic Darner (Aeshna subarctica) 

Tiger Spiketail (Cordulegaster erronea) 

Williamson’s Emerald (Somatochlora williamsoni) 

Zebra Clubtail (Stylurus scudderi)