Hudsonian whiteface

Leucorrhinia hudsonica

Species Type: invertebrate

Conservation Status: special concern

IDENTIFICATION

This red and black species is one of the smallest whitefaces at 1.1”. The mature male is black with red on the thorax and abdomen. The female is marked similarly to the male except the red areas are instead yellow on some forms. Both sexes have red or yellow dorsally between wing bases and triangular basal wing marks.

Distribution & Habitat

This species prefers marshes and bogs with plenty of sphagnum growth. The Hudsonian whiteface is only found in northern New Jersey in few colonies.

Diet

Nymphs feed on a variety of aquatic insects and will also eat small fish and tadpoles. Adults will eat soft-bodied flying insects including mosquitoes, flies, butterflies, moths, mayflies, and flying ants or termites.

Life Cycle

Emergence is throughout May and mature adults can be observed from June into early July.

Current Threats, Status, and Conservation

The Hudsonian whiteface requires habitat that is rare in New Jersey and therefore is considered a species of Special Concern in New Jersey.

References

Text derived from the book, Field Guide to Dragonflies and Damselflies of New Jersey. 2009.  By Allen E. Barlow and Jim Bangma.

Edited and updated by Larissa Smith in 2011.

Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Family: Libellulidae
Genus: Leucorrhinia
Species: L. hudsonica