Amelia's threadtail facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Amelia's threadtail |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Neoneura
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| Species: |
amelia
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Neoneura amelia, also known as Amelia's threadtail, is a small, colorful damselfly. It belongs to the Coenagrionidae family. You can find this amazing insect in the southern parts of the United States and all the way through Central America to Panama.
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Meet Amelia's Threadtail
Amelia's threadtail is a tiny damselfly. It grows to be about 29 to 35 mm (1.1 to 1.4 in) long. That's roughly the length of a paperclip! Its wingspan is around 32 to 36 mm (1.3 to 1.4 in).
What Does it Look Like?
The male Amelia's threadtail is quite striking. It has a bright scarlet red head with reddish-brown eyes. Its body, called the thorax, is also scarlet in the front. It has a thin black stripe down its back and dull orange sides. The first three parts of its long body, the abdomen, are reddish-orange. The rest of its abdomen is brown. Each brown part has a pale section at the start and a darker, blackish section at the end.
The female damselfly looks very different. She is much less colorful and harder to spot. Her body is a pale tan color. She has black marks on her head and thorax. Her abdomen has dark rings around it.
Where Does it Live?
Amelia's threadtail lives in Central America and the very southern part of the United States. Its home range includes southern Texas. It also lives in ten states in Mexico, and countries like Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.
Favorite Hangouts
These damselflies like to live near water. You can often find them in the calm backwaters of large rivers and streams. They also enjoy the edges of big ponds, even if the ground is muddy. They live in both wet and dry forests, and even in grasslands.
How Does it Behave?
In Texas, you can see Amelia's threadtails flying around for a long time. They are active from April all the way through December.
Male Damselfly Habits
Male damselflies often hover over the surface of the water. They stay quite far from the shore. Sometimes, they will perch on small bushes or plants. They like to hide among the leaves hanging over the water.
Female Damselfly Habits
Females are not seen as often as males. You usually only spot them when they are with a male.
Laying Eggs
When it's time to lay eggs, the male and female damselfly fly together. They are in a special position called "in tandem." The female lays her eggs on floating pieces of wood or on the stems of plants that are underwater. Other types of damselflies, like threadtails and dancer damselflies, often try to lay their eggs in the same spots! Egg-laying is busiest in the middle of the day and then slows down.
What is its Conservation Status?
Amelia's threadtail is found over a wide area. It is also a very common species. Scientists have not found any major threats to this damselfly. Its population seems to be steady. Because of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has given it a conservation status of "least concern." This means they are not worried about it becoming endangered anytime soon.
