Tramea lacerata

Hind wings have an expanded anal vein region.

Black saddlebags are found throughout much of Mexico and the United States as far north as Maine, northernmost Vermont, and Montana. This species ranges south to Baja California and Quintana Roo, Mexico, and is also found on the Hawai'ian islands, the Florida Keys, Bermuda, and Cuba. In Canada they are found in Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia.

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )

Tramea lacerata is found throughout much of Mexico and the United States as far north as Maine, northernmost Vermont, and Montana. Also called black saddlebags, this species ranges south to Baja California and Quintana Roo, Mexico, and is also found on the Hawai'ian islands, the Florida Keys, Bermuda, and Cuba. Tramea lacerata is also found in the Canadian provinces of Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia.

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Black saddlebags, although fairly common, are striking insects. The hind wings are long and wide, with irridescent black bands on the parts of the wings closest to the body. This gives them their common name "black saddlebags," because the black patches make them look like they're wearing saddlebags. The rest of the wing is clear. Black saddlebags are medium to large Odonata, about 5.33 cm. The body has a streamlined, teardrop shape. Males are mostly black, with deeper coloring than females. Females are larger, and have a whitish-yellow spotted pattern on the back of their abdomen. Recently emerged (newly metamorphosed from their larval state) males look similar to females. Females and newly emerged black saddlebags also have light colored or yellowish faces. Both males and females have black legs.

Average length: 5.33 cm.

Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry

Sexual Dimorphism: female larger; sexes colored or patterned differently

Tramea lacerata, although fairly common, are striking insects. The hind wings are quite long and wide, with irridescent black bands on the medial parts of the wings, giving them their characteristic "saddlebags" appearance. The rest of the wing is clear. Tramea lacerata is a medium to large species of Odonata, about 5.33 cm. The body has a streamlined, teardrop shape. Males are predominately black, with deeper coloring than females. Females are larger, and have a whitish-yellow spotted pattern on the dorsal side of their abdomen. Recently emerged males appear similar to females. Females and newly emerged individuals also have lighter faces, almost yellow in color, that distinguishes them from males. Tramea lacerata has black legs in both genders.

Average length: 5.33 cm.

Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry

Sexual Dimorphism: female larger; sexes colored or patterned differently

Black saddlebags prefer stagnant or slow moving bodies of water, like those found in ditches, ponds, and small lakes. They flourish in areas where there are no predatory fishes. Still waters allow females to lay their eggs in a characteristic "dipping" manner, without the eggs being swept away. Adults are often seen gliding in wetlands and grasslands near water.

Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial ; freshwater

Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland

Aquatic Biomes: lakes and ponds; temporary pools

Wetlands: marsh ; bog

Tramea lacerata prefers stagnant or slow moving bodies of water, like those found in ditches, ponds, and small lakes. They flourish in bodies of water that lack predatory fishes. Still waters allow females to lay their eggs in characteristic "dipping" manner, without the eggs being swept away. Adults are often seen gliding in wetlands and grasslands near water.

Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial ; freshwater

Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland

Aquatic Biomes: lakes and ponds; temporary pools

Wetlands: marsh ; bog

Black saddlebags are members of the Libellulidae family. They use a gliding feeding style, using their long, broad hind wings to glide as they pick insect prey from the air. Black saddlebags are rarely seen perching, but will sometimes rest on the tips of branches between feeding glides. When there is lots of food in a particular area, swarms of large numbers of feeding black saddlebags may form. These swarms are often made up of only males but can have females in them as well. No feeding swarms of only females have been observed.

Animal Foods: insects

Tramea lacerata is a member of the Libellulidae family, also known as common skippers. They use a gliding feeding style, using their long, broad hind wings to glide as they pick insect prey from the air. Tramea lacerata individuals are rarely seen perching, but occasionally will rest on the tips of branches between feeding glides. When food is ample in a particular area, feeding swarms may form. These are often made up of only males but can be mixed sex swarms as well. No feeding swarms of only females have been observed.

Animal Foods: insects

Primary Diet: carnivore (Insectivore )

Odonata are important predators of insects in the ecosystems in which they live. Larvae and adults also provide food for predatory Actinopterygii and for Aves.

Dragonflies are preyed on by aquatic predators, such as Actinopterygii, when they are larvae. As adults, they may be eaten by birds such as Falco sparverius and Chordeiles minor. Their maneuverability and their exceptional sense of vision keeps them safe from most predators when they are flying adults. Larvae are usually aggressive and well-armed predators as well. They can rapidly eject water from their abdomen to shoot out of the way of predators underwater.

Dragonflies are important predators of insects in the ecosystems in which they live. Larvae and adults also provide food for predatory fish and for birds.

Dragonflies are preyed on by aquatic predators, such as fish, when they are larvae. As adults, they may be eaten by birds such as American kestrels and common nighthawks. Their maneuverability and their exceptional sense of vision keeps them safe from most predators when they are flying adults. Larvae are usually aggressive and well-armed predators as well. They can rapidly eject water from their abdomen to shoot out of the way of predators underwater.

Odonata have exceptionally good vision and use it to communicate with other dragonflies, to catch their prey, and to avoid being eaten. They may also communicate with touch when mating.

Communication Channels: visual ; tactile

Perception Channels: visual ; tactile

Dragonflies have exceptionally good vision and use it to communicate with other dragonflies, to catch their prey, and to avoid being eaten. They may also communicate with touch when mating.

Communication Channels: visual ; tactile

Perception Channels: visual ; tactile

Tramea uses a "gliding" flight style.

Larvae are aquatic. Their gills are folded inside the abdomen to avoid harm. They take in water through their anus and pass it over their gills to breath. After internal metamorphosis occurs, with the adult body forming under the skin, an adult black saddlebags will emerge from the water and grasp a branch where it will complete the rest of its transformation. The cuticle begins to split apart due to the pressure exerted through a series of air intakes. The newly emerged adult, which is quite delicate until the new cuticle hardens, will then crawl out of its old skin (exuviae), allow the wings to open and harden, and then fly away.

Development - Life Cycle: metamorphosis

Larvae are aquatic. Their gills are folded inside the abdomen to avoid harm. They take in water through their anus and pass it over their gills to breath. After internal metamorphosis occurs, with the adult body forming under the skin, an adult black saddlebags will emerge from the water and grasp a branch where it will complete the rest of its transformation. The cuticle begins to split apart due to the pressure exerted through a series of air intakes. The newly emerged adult, which is quite delicate until the new cuticle hardens, will then crawl out of its old skin (exuviae), allow the wings to open and harden, and then fly away.

Development - Life Cycle: metamorphosis

No information was found on the lifespan of black saddlebags.

No information was found on the lifespan of black saddlebags.

Black saddlebags males and females meet to mate on tree branches near a source of water. They are sometimes called "dancing gliders" because of their mating behavior. The male will grab a female by the head, then they will adjust their abdomens to be joined. The male often spends a lot of time removing any sperm that may already be in the female before transferring his own sperm. The male then stays with the female as she flies above the water and dips her abdomen into the water repeatedly. Each time she dips her abdomen she is releasing a few eggs into the water. Because the male and female seem to dip together, they are called "dancing gliders."

Mating System: polygynandrous (promiscuous)

Females lay their eggs in stagnant or very slow moving waters. They will dip down to the water and drop the eggs into the water. Some of them migrate to the north in the spring, where they will breed.

Breeding season: Breeding occurs during warm weather.

Key Reproductive Features: seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (Internal ); oviparous

Once the female lays the eggs there is no more parental involvement in the young.

Parental Investment: no parental involvement; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female)

Tramea lacerata has been called "dancing glider" because of its rhythmic mating style. They mate on the branches of trees that are near water. The male will hover over the female until it is within range to grasp her head and thorax. Next, he will attach his hind quarters to the back of her head, assuming the position known as "tandem." During this phase, the male is collecting sperm from his primary copulatory apparatus, located on his ninth abdominal segment. The two will then adjust their bodies to allow the joining of their genital openings. They form a ring, which is called the "wheel position," in which fertilization occurs. Most of the 8 to 15 minutes that are spent mating is take up by the male removing the female's preexisting sperm deposit. The penis is modified for this purpose, being long enough to penetrate the females' oviduct and to remove the existing sperm. Upon completion of their first breeding, females will have enough sperm to last them a lifetime and mating is not a frequently observed event. After fertilization, the male will release the female and she will gracefully dip to the water to lay her eggs. He will continue to hover over her as she does so, and the two appear to be "dancing." When she is finished, he will grasp her again, and the process will continue.

Mating System: polygynandrous (promiscuous)

Females lay their eggs in stagnant or very slow moving waters. They will dip down to the water (exophytic reproduction) and drop the eggs into the water. Some of them migrate to the north in the spring, where they will breed.

Breeding season: Breeding occurs during warm weather.

Key Reproductive Features: seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (Internal ); oviparous

Once the female lays the eggs there is no more parental involvement in the young.

Parental Investment: no parental involvement; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female)

Females oviposit exophytically. Mated pairs use a form of tandem oviposition, "interrupted tandem oviposition", where they separate and then rejoin several times during oviposition.

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

No available public DNA sequences.

Download FASTA File

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 4
Specimens with Barcodes: 5
Species With Barcodes: 1

Black saddlebags are abundant and widespread. They are not currently considered species of concern in any area they live.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: no special status

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

State of Michigan List: no special status

Tramea lacerata is abundant and widespread. They are not currently considered species of concern in any area they live.

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

State of Michigan List: no special status

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N3 - Vulnerable

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

There are no negative impacts of black saddlebags for humans.

Black saddlebags adults and larvae eat large numbers of insect pests, such as Culicidae. Odonata in general are also important indicators of healthy, aquatic habitats.

Positive Impacts: controls pest population

There are no negative impacts of black saddlebags for humans.

Tramea lacerata is an important agent of bio-control and an indicator of ecosystem health. In both life stages of its life, black saddlebags consume a large quantity of various pest insects, such as mosquitoes. In reference to the impact the Odonata in general have on our environment, Dunkle states, "...They are one of the most visible indicators of wetland diversity and health, and their population changes allow monitoring of environmental changes" (Dunkle 2000).

Positive Impacts: controls pest population