Bromeliad Helicopter

As we approached a dragonfly-laden pond at La Selva Reserve in Heridea, Costa Rica on 15 July 2017, we spied the third helicopter damselfly our our tour. Bromeliad Helicopters range found from northern Mexico to Colombia. Abbott includes this species as one to be looked for in southern Texas. Amundrud et al. found this damselfly’s range is restricted by low temperatures and high mountain ranges. This species may actually benefit from global warming. In any case, Bromeliad Helicopters are habitat specialists—the larvae only develop in tank bromeliads. In La Selva, this species is found mainly in secondary forests and is not as common as other helicopter damsels.