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Ischnura perparva (Western Forktail)BC conservation rank: S5. Yellow List.Description: Our smallest forktail. Male's thorax has green sides, and a dark top with green stripes; appendages fig 6.c. Immature female's thorax has orange sides and stripes on top; the abdomen is black with an orange base. Mature female's pale areas darken to olive, but eventually, the whole body is covered by grey-white pruinescence. Females have no vulvar spine. Length: male 26 mm, female 27 mm. Global Range: British Columbia east to Manitoba, south to Oklahoma, New Mexico and California (Westfall and May 1996). Faunal element: Western (see Appendix 2). BC Distribution: Southern third of BC to about 52°N, but mostly in the southern valleys south of 51ºN. The sole record in the northern study area is from Kleena Kleene in the western Chilcotin. Biology: Common at low and moderate elevations, but generally less common than I. cervula. Inhabits ponds and marshy lakeshores (Wm01-02, Wm04-06), and is more common in slowly flowing streams than I. cervula. The stocky little females lay eggs alone, their pruinose bodies and green eyes making them easy to identify. BC flight period: late April to early October; most records range from early June to late August.
Ischnura perparva Map 3. Frequency of records in British Columbia by NTS 1/50,000 mapsheet. |
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