The Dragonflies
(Insecta: Odonata)
of the Columbia Basin, British Columbia:
Field Surveys, Collections Development and Public Education
Table
of Contents
Lestes forcipatus
Rambur*
Sweetflag Spreadwing
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Provincial Status
CDC rank: S1S3
Red List
Although only discovered in the province during this project in 1998,
Lestes forcipatus has since been found in many areas in southeastern
British Columbia.
Columbia-Kootenay Distribution
L. forcipatus is known from 16 localities in the Columbia
Basin, from the Bluewater Creek area north of Donald, to Bonanza
Pass west of Castlegar. When found, it was always the least dominant
Lestes species at the locality. L. forcipatus is certainly
more widespread than records suggest, as it has apparently been
confused with the much more common and abundant L. disjunctus,
which it closely resembles. L. forcipatus is unusual in odonates
in that the female is more easily identified than the male. Males
are so similar to those of L. disjunctus that unless a female
is collected, the species may be overlooked.
Global Distribution
Lestes forcipatus is a widespread eastern North American
species that was recently collected in Washington, this for the
first time west of Montana (Paulson 1997). In Canada it had not
been confirmed west of Saskatchewan (Westfall and May 1996) until
it was recognized in 1998, when during these surveys it was discovered
north of Golden. In 1999 we discovered several more locations farther
south and west. In 2000, an unidentified specimen that had been
collected in Wells Gray Provincial Park in the mid-1980s was identified
as L. forcipatus. In Washington it has been collected in
Okanogan, Kitsap and Clark counties. Faunal element: Austral (see
Appendix 2).
Biological Information
Walker (1953) described L. forcipatus habitat as "ponds,
both temporary and permanent, marshy lakes, and slow, weedy streams".
In the Kootenay region we found this species in marshes and Carex
fens. Specific information on its biology, range and flight dates
has been confounded by misidentification, as noted above. In British
Columbia (and Columbia Basin) adult records have been confirmed
from 24 June to 29 August (present study). The North American dates
are 4 April to 21 October (Mauffray and Beckenbach 2000).
Management and Protection Considerations
The habitats that L. forcipatus was found in were not particularly
specialized or threatened. They are in lower-lying wetlands where
there is always the risk of draining, development or pollution.
The habitat descriptions from other areas include temporary as well
as permanent ponds, which makes one think that this species may
be relatively tolerant of some disturbance. Management practices
that ensure the continued viability of wetlands should be followed.
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