Ischnura is a genus of damselflies known as forktails (or sometimes bluetails) in the family Coenagrionidae. Forktails are distributed worldwide, including various oceanic islands. The males have a forked projection at the tip of the abdomen which gives the group their common name.

Characteristics

Forktails are small or very small damselflies. The compound eyes of mature individuals have a dark upper region and contrasting lower part. The thorax is often green and may have lateral stripes and the abdomen in males is black with a blue tip. Females of some species are polymorphic, some being orangish and darkening with age, while others resemble the male.

Species

The genus Ischnura includes the following species: • Ischnura abyssinica Martin, 1908 • Ischnura acuticauda Lieftinck, 1959 • Ischnura albistigma Fraser, 1927 • Ischnura aralensis Haritonov, 1979 • Ischnura ariel Lieftinck, 1949 • Ischnura asiatica (Brauer, 1865) – Redtail • Ischnura aurora Brauer, 1865 – Aurora bluetail • Ischnura barberi Currie, 1903 – Desert forktail • Ischnura buxtoni Fraser, 1927 • Ischnura capreolus (Hagen, 1861) • Ischnura cardinalis Kimmins, 1929 • Ischnura cervula Selys, 1876 – Pacific forktail • Ischnura chingaza Realpe, 2010 • Ischnura chromostigma Fraser, 1927 • Ischnura cruzi De Marmels, 1987 • Ischnura cyane Realpe, 2010 • Ischnura damula Calvert, 1902 – Plains forktail • Ischnura demorsa (Hagen, 1861) – Mexican forktail • Ischnura denticollis (Burmeister, 1839) – Black-fronted forktail • Ischnura dorothea Fraser, 1924 • Ischnura elegans (vanderLinden, 1823) – Blue-tailed damselfly • Ischnura erratica Calvert, 1895 – Swift forktail • Ischnura evansi Morton, 1919 – Blue-banded damsel • Ischnura ezoin (Asahina, 1952) • Ischnura filosa Schmidt, 1951 • Ischnura fluviatilis Selys, 1876 • Ischnura forcipata Morton, 1907 • Ischnura fountaineae Morton, 1905 – Oasis bluetail • Ischnura gemina (Kennedy, 1917) – San Francisco forktail • Ischnura genei (Rambur, 1842) – Island bluetail • Ischnura graellsii (Rambur, 1842) – Iberian bluetail • Ischnura haemastigma Fraser, 1927 • Ischnura hastata (Say, 1839) – Citrine forktail • Ischnura heterosticta (Burmeister, 1839) – Common bluetail • Ischnura inarmata Calvert, 1898 • Ischnura indivisa (Ris, 1918) • Ischnura intermedia Dumont 1974 • Ischnura isoetes Lieftinck, 1949 • Ischnura karafutonis Matsumura, 1931 • Ischnura kellicotti Williamson, 1898 – Lilypad forktail • Ischnura luta Polhemus, Asquith & Miller, 2000 • Ischnura ordosi Bartenev, 1912 • Ischnura pamelae Vick & Davies, 1988 • Ischnura perparva Selys, 1876 – Western forktail • Ischnura posita (Hagen, 1861) – Fragile forktail • Ischnura prognata (Hagen, 1861) – Furtive forktail • Ischnura pruinescens (Tillyard, 1906) – Colourful bluetail • Ischnura pumilio (Charpentier, 1825) – Small bluetail or scarce blue-tailed damselfly • Ischnura ramburii (Selys, 1850) – Rambur's forktail • Ischnura rhodosoma Lieftinck, 1959 • Ischnura rubella Navás, 1934 • Ischnura rufostigma Selys, 1876 • Ischnura rufovittata (Blanchard, 1843) • Ischnura saharensis Aguesse, 1958 – Sahara bluetail • Ischnura sanguinostigma Fraser, 1953 • Ischnura senegalensis (Rambur, 1842) – Marsh bluetail • Ischnura spinicauda Brauer, 1865 • Ischnura stueberi Lieftinck, 1932 • Ischnura taitensis Selys, 1876 • Ischnura thelmae Lieftinck, 1966 • Ischnura ultima Ris, 1908 • †Ischnura velteni Bechly, 2000 • Ischnura verticalis (Say, 1839) – Eastern forktail • Ischnura vinsoni Fraser, 1949