Leptobasis lucifer, commonly referred to as lucifer swampdamsel, is a relatively long and slender species of narrow-winged damselfly in the genus Leptobasis found in Central America, southern parts of Mexico, as well as locally in Southern Florida.[1] L. lucifer prefers swampy woodland habitats, such as cypress swamps and tend to hunt near trees, scanning and hovering around leaves in search for prey.[1] Males have black striping on a green thorax with a bright red patch near the end of the abdomen,[1] whereas females are more variable: ranging from dull greenish brown, to blue and reddish orange, to even green with a blue ring around the abdomen. Adult females of this species have a large ovipositor and immatures of both sexes have pale blueish in replacement for any green or greenish patches that would be visible in the adult stage.[1]

Leptobasis lucifer
A male L. lucifer in Loxahatchee NWR, Palm Beach County, FL.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Suborder: Zygoptera
Family: Coenagrionidae
Genus: Leptobasis
Species:
L. lucifer
Binomial name
Leptobasis lucifer
(Donnelly, 1967)
Female L. lucifer in Loxahatchee NWR, Palm Beach County, FL

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Paulson, Dennis, 1937- (2011). Dragonflies and damselflies of the East. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-1-4008-3966-7. OCLC 758374336.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)