Bug FAQWestern Red Damsel
Amphiagrion abbreviatum · Order: Odonata · Family: Coenagrionidae
Also called: Southwestern Short Damselfly
The western red damsel is a narrow-winged damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. It lives in marshes fed by springs or seepage, and along vegetated edges of ponds, lakes, and slow streams. Its range covers western North America, including parts of Canada, many U.S. states, and a state in Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The western red damsel is a narrow-winged damselfly belonging to Coenagrionidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is typically found in marshes fed by springs or seepage and at the vegetated margins of ponds, lakes, and slow-moving streams.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to western North America, recorded in several Canadian provinces, many U.S. states, and one Mexican state.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 22 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Washington, Wisconsin.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Same family (Coenagrionidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphiagrion_abbreviatum
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.