Leucorrhinia hudsonica (Selys, 1850)
Hudsonian Whiteface
NatureServe Global Rank: G5
Virginia State Rank: S1
VA DGIF Tier: IV
Federal Legal Status: None
Virginia Legal Status: None
Description: The Hudsonian Whiteface is a small, black, white-faced dragonfly with red on the thorax and red spots on the top of the abdomen. The wings are unmarked. The size range is 27-32 mm (1.1 - 1.3 inches).
Similar species: The Hudsonian Whiteface is our only white-faced dragonfly with red spots on the abdomen. Pennants (Celithemis sp.) have dark wing spots and the face is never white.
North American Range: The Hudsonian Whiteface is a northern species. It lives across Canada and the New England states to the west coast, extending south at higher elevations of the Appalachians to West Virginia. In Virginia, it is known only from Highland County, which is apparently the southernmost location of its range (Roble et al., 2009).
VA Observations by Locality: Highland | Highland
Flight season and broods: The Hudsonian Whiteface has been found from 21 May to 27 June in Virginia.
Aquatic Habitat: The Hudsonian Whiteface prefers boggy ponds, lakes, and marshes.
Behavior and Ecology: Hudsonian Whiteface males defend small, but often shifting, areas suring the day. When it perches on the ground or close to the ground, its wings are pressed forward.
Population trend and potential threats: The Hudsonian Whiteface is common across its northern range, but critically imperiled in its southern range including Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia (NatureServe, 2011).
Management practices: Monitor and preserve occupied habitats.
References: Carle, F.L., 1982. A contribution to the knowledge of the Odonata. Ph.D. thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia. 1,095 pp.
NatureServe. 2011. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available http://www.natureserve.org/explorer (Accessed: Oct 15, 2012).
Paulson, Dennis. 2011. Dragonflies and Damselflies of the East. Princeton University Press. Princeton and Oxford. 538 pp.
Roble, Steven M. 2011. Dragonflies of Virginia- Flight dates. Unpub.
Roble, S. M., Carle, F. L., and O. S. Flint. 2009. Dragonflies and Damselflies of the Laurel Fork Recreation Area, George Washington National Forest, Highland County, Virginia: Possible evidence for climate change. pp. 365-399 in S. M. Roble and J. C. Mitchell eds. Virginia Museum of Natural History Special Publication No. 16., Martinsville, Virginia.