Ischnura hastata (Citrine Forktail)

This has to be the most interesting odonate on the planet. Ischnura hastata (Citrine Forktail) is a highly dispersive species of the Americas which has a unique population on the Azores which is entirely female; the population reproduces parthenogenetically. In doing so it is entirely unique in the odonata world. Unfertilised eggs produce only females. The males are also curious in having their pterostigmas inside the wing rather than on the leading edge. The females are also a little unusual in that they develop a blue-grey pruinosity.

I would love to see the specimens on the Azores but I was delighted to see it in Costa Rica on the road leading to PN Palo Verde, where there are males. I did catch a brief glimpse of a male but did not manage to catch it on pixels. Thus, I have two pictures only of females.

female