# Ischnura

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