This beautiful species adorns beautiful mountain rivers. Indeed, the range map for Calopteryx amata seems to follow the Appalachians,through New England to New Brunswick in Canada as far north as Nova Scotia.

Of all members of the Broad-winged Damselfly family, this species has the narrowest wings. It also has the largest body. It is overall a large species of damselflies, growing to lengths of 49 t0 61 mm. As with the other members of the genus Calopteryx, the head, thorax, and abdomen of this species are brilliant metallic green. The female's body color may appear more bronzy, and the female's abdomen is thicker.

Males and females may also be differentiated by wing coloration. On the males, the wings are hyaline, with the tips of the hindwings brown. On females the wings are uniform: all amber in color, or occasionally all hyaline.On females, there is a small white pseudostigma on each wing.

Only when the male Superb Jewelwing fans his wings is it apparent that only two of the four wings have dark tips.

The female Superb Jewelwing has uniform wings, tinted amber or occasionally clear. Note the white pseudostigmas, not present on the male. Lateral view of the female's thorax. The small green triangle is a key identification characteristic of the female Superb Jewelwing.